Korean Job Discussion Forums

mr. bojangles · Joined: 23 Oct 2009

Is it necessary for me to purchase my own expatriate health insurance before coming to Korea, or does the Korean health insurance coverage I get with my school good enough? Will the Korean insurance cover everything?

cruisemonkey · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:31 pm Post subject: Re: Expatriate Health Insurance

youtuber · Joined: 13 Sep 2009

You need to buy Emergency Medical travel insurance that is good for one year. It should cost about $500 or so. Buy it from your travel agent.

In addition, you should also sign up for the National Plan in Korea. Your school should do that for you.

The National Plan alone is woefully insufficient. Yes it does cover some of the cost, but for a serious medical problem, you may have to pay thousands of dollars. Korean doctors love money just like everyone else.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

If you are here on an E-2, then by far the best health insurance deal you can get is travel insurance. An agent here told me this (she didn't sell it) and she was correct.

If you are on a resident visa (like F-2) you can't qualify for it.

Try Gina at AIG (now the name might be different) in Yongsan, but she says you can get a better deal overseas before you come here:

2nd Fl., Daejin Bldg. #36-39 Itaewon-Dong, Yongsan-Gu, Seoul 140-862 Korea, by Yongsan Gate #52. Call 822-794-7414, 822-793-6903 (Office), 8211-9873-7415 (Mobile) or e-mail: [email protected]

cruisemonkey · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:21 am Post subject:

The practice of medicine is a business in K-land (much the same as education). Those from countries with 'social' medicine schemes - Canada, the U.K., NZ etc. - can find themselves in for a big surprise should they require services.

K doctors love to admit people to the hospital and practice 'medicine' by: 1L intravenous fluids and an intramuscular injection daily. As my K doctor once said to me "'Happy' patients don't complain." Rolling Eyes

(no shit). Beware... 99.8% of your K doctor's patients believe in fan death... he/she may assume the same of you. Shocked

mr. bojangles · Joined: 23 Oct 2009

does anyone have any reco's in terms of good places to purchase this travel insurance?

thanks bassexpander for that one name. i'll give her a try.

youtuber · Joined: 13 Sep 2009

In Canada, I purchased Bon Voyage Emergency Medical Travel Insurance from a travel agency called Travel Cutz.

But any travel agency should have a similar product. It is the same insurance that you would buy for a short trip to Mexico or wherever. Except now you would be buying it for the year. But you need to buy the insurance in your home country.

I don't know how that would work if you bought it in Korea.