Korean Job Discussion Forums

faeriehazel · Joined: 04 Mar 2008

. . . that won't break the bank?

My boyfriend just went to Severance (the international clinic) because he has fluid in his knee and they said he'd have to pay over 800 thousand won. Surely there must be somewhere cheaper. I've read somewhere that the international clinics mark up their prices so maybe he should try just going to the regular route. Any thoughts?

nora · Joined: 14 Apr 2012

MRI, I don't know. I can say I was offered a CT scan for about 300k at St. Mary's in Bucheon.

MRI's aren't the cheapest though - insurance doesn't cover/partly covers them, so you won't be finding any amazing deals on them. IF you search the forum, plenty of folks have started/commented on threads on this very topic, but in the hundreds of thousands of won is the common price. 800 DOES seem on the steep end, but you get what you pay for - Severance has great docs. End up at a place that charges less, you might get the same scan but with doctors whose English isn't too good, or with less experience. Probably won't affect much, unless it's some really strange/rare/freak thing...?

good luck

byrddogs · Joined: 19 Jun 2009 Location: Shanghai

Check out Konkuk Uni Hospital. I don't know about now, but a few years ago when I had a knee problem it was less than what you were quoted (don't remember exactly how much, but less nonetheless).

faeriehazel · Joined: 04 Mar 2008

Thanks, we'll definitely check Konkuk out.

atwood · Joined: 26 Dec 2009

Severance does tack on a bit when you go through the international clinic, but MRIs are expensive in Korea since insurance doesn't cover them. And since Severance is so popular there might be a long wait if he decides to have surgery there.

Surgical clinics in an upscale area will often have MRI machines that are just as good as university hospitals or better and will be somewhat less expensive. The one I went to in Bundang, although not for an MRI, was excellent from what I could tell. The doctor I saw there had served with Doctors Without Borders and really helped me out.

But don't be penny wise and dollar foolish--some hospitals have quite old MRI machines