Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Seconis]

I was wondering if there are many doctors in and around Seoul who speak English well enough for a non-Korean speaker to go to them without a translator. Further, what is the medical system like? How much does one pay when one is an ESL teacher with the health benefits that come from that?

Thank you,

Justin

[youtuber]

Yes there are English speaking doctors. The skill and quality of the health system in Korea is comparable to the USA or Canada.

However, the coverage sucks. Most teachers participate in the National Health Insurance plan. This plan is totally insufficient for any kind of major illness. You will pay thousands of dollars if you get seriously ill in Korea. Considering the fact that we make $14/hour, one serious illness could eat up your entire savings.

That is one way Koreans keep us from staying here for any significant length of time.

Make sure you come here with emergency travel health insurance that lasts for a year. That is your only option to supplement the pathetic national plan.

On the national plan, it will cost you about $30US to see a GP.

I would suggest keeping any kind of insurance that you have in your home country. If you do get seriously ill, Korea will not take care of you. Well they will, for a hefty price of course. You will have to quit your job and go home to recover.

I speak from experience.

[ajuma]

Well, I beg to differ. I've been going to docs and dentists here for 13 years and only once had a doctor misdiagnose me. A simple doctor visit runs in the neighborhood of 6,000 for a GP/internal medicine guy. And you don't need an appointment with most of them. Just walk in and get in line.

I've also had major surgery here. The cost for a double surgery (they removed 2 things), doctor consults, aftercare plus, 9 days in a private room in a decent hospital was less than $4000. Yeah, a little steep, but hey, we pay what? $25 a month for insurance? How much is it in the States? Or, if you're from England or such, how long would you have to wait for care?

[youtuber]

I never said the quality of care here was poor. I think it is quite good in fact. I mean that the out of pocket costs can potentially leave you bankrupt. That's what I mean by poor coverage.

But ajumma, what kind of insurance do you have? Just the NHI? After being in Korea for 13 years I would imagine that you are married and have some sort of supplementary health insurance right? That supplementary insurance is not available to most of us who are on E2 visas. You are probably on an F2 visa right?

And don't forget that $4000 is 4 months of savings for the average ESL teacher. 1/3 of a year's hard work is gone. Doesn't that pisss you off? It pissses me off. And what will you do with a more serious chronic sickness?

If we get cancer (we have a 1 in 3 chance) or some other long-term illness, we are screwed in Korea if we are only on the NHI. Hopefully you don't find that out the hard way.

And since we won't be able to work because we are sick, and since most of us have accomodations provided by the employer, we are pretty much forced to go home. As you may have noticed, there is no umemployment insurance, disability, sick leave. Nothing.

Unless of course, you are married. Which is basically the only way to make any sort of long term stay in Korea feasible.

By reading your post, you said you only pay $25/month for insurance. So I would assume you only have NHI. If you are married, I think it would be prudent of you to get your wife to shop around for some supplementary insurance so you don't get financially ruined.

[smoggy]

In Daegu, I pay 16,000 w for the specialist - physical medicine doctor. The physical therapy, with insurance, costs 11,000w. The charge is 30,000W without insurance. I am paying 1/10th of the cost of physical therapy as in the US. Also, with 3 times per week of pt my bill runs up & my insurance in the states pays for the rest. It is simple without the frills, but my frozen shoulder & rotator cuff is healing.

[ajuma]

Yep, I DO have the national health insurance. And...in case you hadn't notice my user name and avatar, I'm a woman!

Back to the the health insurance question: I found this on the National Health Coalition (or something like that) site.