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gingercat
Joined: 06 Jun 2011
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 Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:38 pm Post subject: Dental care/ health care? |
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I have a question, I know most places say they provide 50% heath insurance. But how far does that get you? If you needed an antibiotic for instance, how costly would that be on 50% insurance? Does it cover prescriptions at all or just the Dr visit?
My bigger question is DENTAL. I am more worried about needing an emergency root canal and wondering how safe and affordable it is in Korea. Thanks! |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Dental care/ health care? |
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| gingercat wrote: |
I have a question, I know most places say they provide 50% heath insurance. But how far does that get you? If you needed an antibiotic for instance, how costly would that be on 50% insurance? Does it cover prescriptions at all or just the Dr visit?
My bigger question is DENTAL. I am more worried about needing an emergency root canal and wondering how safe and affordable it is in Korea. Thanks! |
If you are working at a hagwan then the 50/50 USUALLY means you are NOT insured and the employer will split the cost of minor medical treatment with you. If it is something big they will leave you to hang in the wind.
If you are at a public school then it means they split the premium of the NHIC (national health plan). You will have minimal co-pays for the average doctor's visit (3-5k won) and meds are also cheap.
Basic fillings are also subsidized (4000 won for a drill and fill) but a root canal is NOT. Depending on where you go it can cost from 250k won (root canal, post, fill and crown) to 1 million won.
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TheBebbins
Joined: 13 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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sorry to hijack a little but is 4000 won for amalgam?
I have had 3 different dentists quote me 140,000 - 170,000 per filling! Even though I have stressed I do not want gold - but I would like tooth/white coloured - is it that expensive?! I always see people writing that they got a filling for 10,000 won but I can't find such reasonable prices! |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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My fillings were resin (white).
I went to the dentist at the local hospital.
I did have my NHIC booklet with me.
Ask a co-teacher (provided you have your booklet).
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morrisonhotel
Joined: 18 Jul 2009
Location: Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
I went to the dentist at the local hospital.
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Is that only at public hospitals? I'm assuming so.... |
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TheBebbins
Joined: 13 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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| ah - maybe therein lies my problem, I don't have an NHIC - I think I am one of those people that have the 50/50 thing you mentioned above. |
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Guiness on Tap
Joined: 03 May 2011
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 1:21 am Post subject: |
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| morrisonhotel wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
I went to the dentist at the local hospital.
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Is that only at public hospitals? I'm assuming so.... |
If you possess a valid NHIC, it doesn't matter whether you visit a public or private hospital, your basic medical expenses are covered.
Unfortunately, under some weird rule, dental surgery is not covered under most health insurance plans.
Since a root canal is considered a major dental surgery, it's going to cost more.
That being said, some nice dentists will actually figure out the most economic way to go about it.
It seems that some parts of a root canal treatment or other dental surgeries can be reimbursed.
As in almost all things in Korea, talk to the people involved and you'll be surprised how some hidden costs can be saved |
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mariaanceney
Joined: 07 Jan 2011
Location: 840 UNITED STATES
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:43 am Post subject: |
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| Which hospital did you go to? Was this a recent trip to the dentist? I was quoted 250,000 for a large filling (resin). I'd be happy with amalgam, but the dentists that I've been to only use resin. Do all the hospitals offer amalgam? |
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mariaanceney
Joined: 07 Jan 2011
Location: 840 UNITED STATES
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:31 pm Post subject: Re: Dental care/ health care? |
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Ttompatz: Which hospital did you go to? Was this a recent trip to the dentist? I was quoted 250,000 for a large filling (resin). I'd be happy with amalgam, but the dentists that I've been to only use resin. Do all the hospitals offer amalgam?
| ttompatz wrote: |
| gingercat wrote: |
I have a question, I know most places say they provide 50% heath insurance. But how far does that get you? If you needed an antibiotic for instance, how costly would that be on 50% insurance? Does it cover prescriptions at all or just the Dr visit?
My bigger question is DENTAL. I am more worried about needing an emergency root canal and wondering how safe and affordable it is in Korea. Thanks! |
If you are working at a hagwan then the 50/50 USUALLY means you are NOT insured and the employer will split the cost of minor medical treatment with you. If it is something big they will leave you to hang in the wind.
If you are at a public school then it means they split the premium of the NHIC (national health plan). You will have minimal co-pays for the average doctor's visit (3-5k won) and meds are also cheap.
Basic fillings are also subsidized (4000 won for a drill and fill) but a root canal is NOT. Depending on where you go it can cost from 250k won (root canal, post, fill and crown) to 1 million won.
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missty
Joined: 19 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| mariaanceney wrote: |
| Which hospital did you go to? Was this a recent trip to the dentist? I was quoted 250,000 for a large filling (resin). I'd be happy with amalgam, but the dentists that I've been to only use resin. Do all the hospitals offer amalgam? |
I think that it depends on what dentist you go to. The small dentist I went to in Gwangmyeong gave me a large amalgram filling and it cost about 20,000 won, I think. I only went a few months ago too, but this was a small dentist and I needed to take an interpreter to help me as they didn't speak much English. |
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Guajiro
Joined: 04 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:55 pm Post subject: Re: Dental care/ health care? |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
If you are working at a hagwan then the 50/50 USUALLY means you are NOT insured and the employer will split the cost of minor medical treatment with you. If it is something big they will leave you to hang in the wind.
If you are at a public school then it means they split the premium of the NHIC (national health plan). You will have minimal co-pays for the average doctor's visit (3-5k won) and meds are also cheap.
Basic fillings are also subsidized (4000 won for a drill and fill) but a root canal is NOT. Depending on where you go it can cost from 250k won (root canal, post, fill and crown) to 1 million won.
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I had NHIC coverage at my hagwan. The owner said it was optional, and I took that option (lucky me, as I needed an appendectomy some time later).
I got a pretty cheap filling from the dentist at Homeplus in Nonsan with my coverage. That said, the cavity grew bigger underneath the filling and I had to get it fixed again. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:13 pm Post subject: Re: Dental care/ health care? |
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| mariaanceney wrote: |
| Ttompatz: Which hospital did you go to? Was this a recent trip to the dentist? I was quoted 250,000 for a large filling (resin). I'd be happy with amalgam, but the dentists that I've been to only use resin. Do all the hospitals offer amalgam? |
Last spring (April 2011).
The dentist was in the local byong-won (small hospital) in Haniltown (Suwon) across the street and 1 block north from Home-Plus. (it is the only green cross on the street).
I have also used the dentist in the small hospital on the same street as the provincial office in Suwon (west side of Namun). The price was similar.
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Illysook
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| So, it looks like the frugal tip is to walk into a small hospital to find a dentist? |
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