Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TK421]

My Hagwon boss did not register me or the other four foreign employees, soon to be seven total, at my school for health insurance. None of us have health insurance cards like all of my friends do. We still get 50,000 won per month taken out of our paychecks for the health insurance though. She obviously pockets the money. We also aren't registered for pension either. I know because I checked with the pension office. When we have medical problems, we're told to bring the receipts to the boss and she pays us back, which is just fine when it's 10,000 to 20,000 won.

Well, I'm having some medical issues right now and had to go to the hospital to get urine and blood tests done. I had already been to a small clinic and the doctor was utterly useless. The hagwon boss payed for those cheap clinic visits. My extensive tests were expensive, 344,000 won, because the doctor there also did not know what was wrong with me and a variety of things had to be tested. I had to pay this huge sum out of my own pocket.

When I brought the receipt to my boss, she refused to pay it. She said medical insurance is only for when the foreign teacher has a medical problem that interferes with work, like a cold or flu. I told her that I am well aware that we are not registered with the NHIC and that my contract says I'm supposed to have medical insurance but I don't. She kept going on about how I should've told her about my problems before seeing a doctor, and kept demanding to know what my problems were. She told me I shouldn't have gone to the hospital I went to and instead I should've gone to this other one of her choice. I told her that it was personal and private what my medical problems are and where I come from that's none of an employer's business. Also, she said she has to contact the hospital to find out what my tests were for and apparently she contacts every clinic I've been to based on the receipts I've given her. This is beyond messed up to me.

What should I do? How can I get the money that I am owed? That's almost $300 I'm being screwed out of and that's a big deal to me. I'm currently pouring over the NHIC website looking at the laws. If I had the medical insurance card as is legally required there would be no problem and I would not be complaining even if the insurance only covered half of my tests.

Can someone please help me out here? I'm extremely infuriated/frustrated and I'm so tired of dealing with lying, lawless Koreans. Is there an organization or someone I can contact? Is there something that could make her change her mind?

[frankly speaking]

You do realize that the health care doesn't cover much. It usually doesn't cover blood work or urine tests. It is for limited treatment. In a sense your boss is correct.

However, the issue is that salary has been deducted and you don't have your insurance card. That is the issue not the bill that you have. If your boss pays into the health insurance it will be retroactive to the date of your employment so you will get reimbursed for anything that the insurance does cover.

You are also wrong about it being private. I know that it would be nice to have your medical history be confidential but that just doesn't always happen here.

Is the boss deducting for pension also? If she is and is not paying it in, then you have a legal case.

I would calmly sit down with the boss and declare that you would appreciate it if she made sure that all of the records are up to date so that you can have your insurance card.

Do not threaten, do not compare your country to Korea, do not talk about what other teachers get. Be polite, assure her that you are happy at the school and that you appreciate something that she does for you, but that you need to have your insurance card and that you need to have your pension paid into.

Good luck. If she refuses, then thank her for her time and quietly seek legal advice from the labor board.

[TK421]

No I don't realize what the health insurance covers because Koreans don't give foreign teachers any kind of information, especially if it's important.

So what's the point of the health insurance? Most of them time when someone actually needs their health insurance they have a problem that can't be diagnosed by simply looking at them, they need to be tested. What if someone gets hit by a car? Gets cancer in Korea? The health insurance sounds useless to me. Where can I find out what exactly it covers?

Regardless, yes, she is deducted pension from my salary. A fellow foreign teacher that left a couple months ago got his pension back under the table, so that's good news at least, but we're still not registered with the pension office.

I've been here for six months. If she's not going to register me with NHIC or pension, she's never going to. She hasn't with any teacher that's ever been here. She's both lazy and greedy, pocketing the medical insurance money and hoping nobody ever gets sick.

I don't understand how someone's medical history and current medical problems could possibly be her or anybody but my doctor's business. Both her and the supervisor were asking me the entire day, what's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong? What are your symptoms?

I'm fed up with pretending to her that I'm happy at the school. It's the most miserable job I've ever had, and so agrees my fellow foreign teachers. It's going to be very difficult sitting down her and telling her I want my insurance card and my records up to date. Especially when I'm leaving at the end of August.

[PatrickGHBusan]

TK,

I understand you are frustrated but frankly speaking is right.

Work provided insurance, especially for a short term contractual worker (thats you) will never cover serious long term illness. That makes no sense for any employer hiring short term employees.

Your insurance will cover basic visits to the doctor for basic everyday illness like colds, pink eye and so on. It will also cover most of the cost of prescriptions for these medications.

If you need serious surgery, that will not be covered and again, that is perfectly normal.

That is why every teacher should purchase supplementary insurance on their own to cover the more serious issues.

Now if your employer has deducted health care from your pay, you should have an insurance card or booklet. I compeltely agree with frankly speaking: stay calm and discuss this with your employer.

Medical history is relevant to an employer. If a person has a serious disease, the employer needs to know as there are implications.

[frankly speaking]

"Medical history is relevant to an employer. If a person has a serious disease, the employer needs to know as there are implications."

The only modification I would make to this is adding the words "in Korea" It is not allowable in the US to ask about any medical condition. People cannot be fired for having a broken leg. Which does happen in Korea. One colleague got fired for having an abortion. Their excuse was that she missed more than 3 days of sick days in a row and under the contract that was terms for dismissal. However other people missed days for other illnesses and were not fired.

OP, what kind of insurance to you expect for less than 30 dollars a month? Do you really expect full coverage blue cross blue shield for minimal deductions? Like Patrick Suggests get your own insurance if you are worried about major medical expenses. Just be grateful that your bill was only 300$ and that you are now healthy. That really isn't a lot of money for a medical bill. Your insurance will probably pay about 20% of that. Less if you went to a private clinic.

I do wish you good luck, but do yourself a favor and relax a little. You really don't want to ruin your mood over the little things.

If you are adamant about getting your insurance and full pension, then do it. Just be firm, but always polite. Make a strong case and tell her how important it is for you. That you signed a contract that states these things and that it is important for you both to have a good working relationship with full honesty. If she doesn't know how to do it (pay into the pension and get the insurance, then you can offer to help her call the labor board to find out for her.

[OculisOrbis]

if you didnt recieve the health insurance card (paper) from NHIC (national health insurance corporation), then your emplyer did not enroll you in the program. they are required to so. not being enrolled in the health insurance program probably also means you were not enrolled in pension - also illegal in most cases. the national health insurance plan is a user pay service that is normally 70% covered/you pay 30%, other times it is 50/50 depending on what you are doing. somethings are not covered at all.

call the pension and health offices and ask them if you are enrolled and at what salary level your employer enrolled you at. it is a common practice for employers to under report your income by 50% or more and save them money but still make it appear things are legit. they are not.

call NPS and NHIC and check for yourself. do not trust that your employers are telling you the truth. check for yourself.

go to the NHIC website or contact their Call Center: 02-390-2000 (English Customer Service for Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon City, Gangwon Province)

if that isnt setup at the proper rate, i can find the pension contact number.

you can also call 1330 which is an english service for foreigners that can help you with many issues/give info regarding your concerns about life in korea. i have found them to be very helpful for a variety of concerns i have had.

while youre at it, call the tax office and see if your employer is submitting your taxes in the proper amount based on your actual salary (not the reduced amount they may be reporting assuming they have even enrolled you). the english service for the tax office is 02-2076-5711 or 1588-0560.

A basic description of what is covered and by how much can be found here: http://www.nhic.or.kr/portal/site/eng/menuitem.1ae3bb69fc2bea0644416433062310a0/?purl=03_01.html
and here: http://www.nhic.or.kr/portal/site/eng/menuitem.5aed0856fa21d7f8ec7db854062310a0

[WadRUG'naDoo]

They still trying to pull this crap in Korea? It's amazing what employers get away with in Korea. That's serious business deducting benefits from you salary and pocketing it. But nothing is monitored there, really. And it's a pain to file grievances.

I paid into NHIC and it was over 60,000/month. I checked to make sure it was being paid. I think that was in my last 2 years of a 3-year contract I was paying into it. Not that I ever used it. Should've opted out. Waste of money. I don't know what if covers. Hard to imagine it only covers those smaller things and not percentages of more serious things. Anyway...

Your boss is a moron. Get your money back for the health insurance and pension. All of it. There's no trick or specific manner of how to ask for. Just demand it. Whether you do it angrily or kindly. Just get it. Your boss is a crook.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Wad is right that the OP should be angry about the deductions.

However the OP will not get any money back. The pension will be paid by the employer and employee and the OP can geta refund after he is done in Korea if his country has a pension agreement with Korea. If his boss did not pay into the pension scheme, he will be fined and forced to pay. If pension has not been deducted from the OPs pay (it appears it has however) then it will be deducted, retroactively if needed. Then the OP can apply to get it back when he leaves Korea, again provided his country has a pension agreement with the ROK.

Medical insurance has been deducted so the OP should have his card or booklet. If after discussing this with his boss he does not get it, contact the labor board.

The basic health insurance does not cover the more serious issues. It may provide basic coverage but for things like surgeries and hospital stays you ahve to pay most of it and again that is normal.

[air76]

[TK421]

Thanks guys.

I'll talk to her tomorrow again, see what I can do. I'll remain firm but calm as I usually do. I've never lost my temper with her or anything. I'm just tired of being stomped on, you know? Not a good feeling and not one I'm used to.

Thanks very much for the helpful insight and links. I'll let you know how it goes.

[air76]

[ontheway]

[SeoulNate]

+1

It covers more than the above posters said. Our coworker broke his leg 6 months ago and paid about half of the total bill.

[NYC_Gal]

My blood and urine test came to about 50k total. I've got the insurance. I also go to a nice university hospital. The OP should be angry.

Go to the labor board.

[Young FRANKenstein]