Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sing81]

What is covered by Korean medical insurance?

Are pre-existing conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or psoriasis covered by Korean medical insurance? If so, to what extent?

If you work in Korea, and are diagnosed with cancer can you hope to receive any treatment? Or does your employer have right to deny you coverage?

[oldtrafford]

Very little!! If you get cancer you're paying. In my case I would be heading home to throw myself at the mercy of the NHS. In your case being a Yank your doomed unless you have 'health insurance.' Koreans thought America was the best country in the world until they saw 'Sicko.' They're not quite the believers now!!!!

[ttompatz]

[Wildbore]

[ttompatz]

[Porksta]

[ajuma]

[lithium]

[denverdeath]

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I work at a hagwon, and have the national health insurance booklet. I used it last week to go for a doctor's appointment.

As for coverage, I had my appendix out earlier this year, and, with the upgrade to a 2-bed room with its own bathroom instead of the more crowded option with a bathroom down the hall, only had to pay about 2 million won after being there nearly a week. My mom had her appendix out a few years ago. Hers had gone septic because hers burst, but she was there for 2 days and, had she not had both her and my father's government job plans, she'd have had to pay over 10k USD if only using her own insurance.

Still, cancer isn't covered. Marry a Brit or Canadian, as was stated above.

[ajuma]

I had major surgery done a few years ago. Surgery, semi-private room for 3 days, private room for 6 days, all outpatient follow up, PLUS removing my gall bladder as it was full of stones, came to a grand total of 4.6 mil.


Of course there are no lawyers here collecting million dollar fees for suing doctors and drug companies!

[ttompatz]

[Chokse]

A longer list would be what the national health care here doesn't cover. A lot. It seems to me that it pretty much covers the most minor of illnesses, but it does not seem to cover serious conditions.

My wife and I have private health insurance in Korea, in addition to the national health care.

The private insurance includes medical and life insurance and costs us about 70,000 won each per month (mine is a bit more than her insurance).

It is broken down by ailment type, and you receive up to a certain amount of coverage for that particular ailment. For example, we get 200 million won (each) for each occurrence of cancer. The amount you get differs by ailment type, with cancer being the biggest payment. I sometimes get kidney stones and the insurance pays 3 million won per occurrence.

It's actually not a bad deal. The last time I had a kidney stone, I paid 500,000 won to have it blasted with an ultrasonic hammer. The insurance company deposited 3 million won in my account after I filed the claim, so I pocketed 2.5 million won (I guess for pain and suffering?).

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

[dbtm]