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Skippy
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon
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 Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:10 am Post subject: The mysterious entity called Korean Medical Insurance Union |
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While reading the contracts review thread, I noticed many of these contracts contain the organization called Korean Medical Insurance Union (KMIU). More often then naught of these contracts being reviewed are rejected by the commenters here on Dave's eslcafe. Usually because of the inclusion of KMIU. Never mind many of these contracts are filled with tricky clauses and scam moves.
KMIU is what many of the schools via their contracts designate as the health insurance program that employees will be enrolled in. Of the contract thread readers and posters mention, as not the proper health insurance.
The proper and legal name of the health insurance group that employees are legally to be enrolled in called the National Health Insurance Corporation.
http://www.nhic.or.kr/static/html/wbd/g/a/wbdga0101.html
A few weeks ago, I decided to search about this organization/insurance group to clear up the confusion. All I ever found was its name in contacts for English teaching. Never found an actual website or link to any concrete information on it. Weeks later it still bugged me so I decided to do some more searching and research. I used mostly Google for searching now and previously. Yet did search a little with Naver and Daum to cover the Korea Internet. Still pretty much the same as Google, mostly contracts. To mention, I did not try using actual Korean word searches, as well my Korean level is low.
The results mostly all mentions of KMIU is in English teaching contracts. I did variations like dropping Korean or adding better search terms like site:.kr. Of non-contract related links I did come across a few mentions of insurance unions. A few English/Korean dictionary definitions, various mentions in reports and a handful of news articles.
One link came rise to a possible hypothesis. It came from a mention of Insurance Unions a Korea Supreme Court decision. The context of the use of the words Insurance Union leaned towards meaning the public health insurance system. Maybe this KMIU problem is all a translation mistake. Insurance union is just another way to say insurance provider or company.
| Quote: |
| .... examination and treatment methods is allowed without any condition, there is a high probability of giving rise to causing excessive competition among medical persons, which may result in the problem of impairing the stability of the medical system and making citizens and the medical insurance union incur unnecessary medical costs. |
Which might explain things. A few of the contacts link to the NHIC website saying KMIU is this. Now this even might be true, even further so. In the this news link Insurance Unions are mentioned as being integrated or merged with other insurance entities. Plus looking at the history of the NHIC website it has integrated with different groups and unions over time. So maybe once upon a time KMIU was a legit group that later became or part of NHIC. Yet, the mistake is still there on many contracts?
Two scenarios come to mind.
One, I am thinking is many of these contracts are writing KMIU when they mean NHIC. I am guessing, maybe this was an old name for health insurance. This name seems that have hung around on many of the contracts, Both on old and even many new. Which is still weird and suspicious is this has been around for years (2006 contract came up on a Dave's eslcafe and 2005 .hwp documents via Daum). Yet, this mistake is still around in 2013 and has propagated to many different versions of employment contracts.
Actually thinking about this, I can see how this mistake hung around. Many school and businesses often take contracts from other schools and modify for their use. Cheapness and laziness are the procedure of the day at times with businesses in Korea. The 2006 contract example of Dave's is for ECC. So ECC does a contract, schools copy, change and use. So over time KMIU has stuck around in the variations and changes of contracts over time.
Next scenario, is well ... it is a scam! Schools/Hagwons are blatantly posting an unknown insurance organization as legit. Or it is a known but improper insurance provider. Which I could not find a legit site or details on. I have seen contracts that provide private insurance via legit insurance providers like Samsung. Which is wrong in its own rights, but they are providing private insurance. But still many contracts are providing wrong information. I can think of some scam scenarios that KMIU could be used for.
One. Promise insurance, teachers signs, but is never enrolled in as it does not exist. Teacher never verifies and luckily no serious medical issues come up. Schools gets away. Or teacher gets sick and trouble ensues.
Two, Many of the contracts with KMIU do try to get people to sign independent contractor type contracts. So teacher/contractor is now responsible for full public health insurance. Enrolls or does not. School promises insurance and collects for non existent union and....
Pockets the money.
Three, like number two. Schools collects money but pays to a private insurance company which is a .... KMIU in a sense.
If this is a mistake, I think schools and teachers should get this fixed. Mention the problem, change the words. The schools really should do this as it will be beneficial towards them. Schools lose out on possible hires because suspicions are raised with a wrong name of insurance.
Or if this is a scam. Teachers know now what to look for. Or schools/businesses will adapt and can alter the name and continue scamming.
So any observations or things people can add to this mystery. |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 9:17 am Post subject: |
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| You forgot the third scenario: Someone used an online translator or a crappy Korean-English dictionary to translate "국민건강보험공단" to English. |
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FriendlyDaegu
Joined: 26 Aug 2012
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| Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: The mysterious entity called Korean Medical Insurance Un |
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Take English names of Korean entities with a grain of salt.
The 국민건강보험공단 has been referred to in English as the National Health Insurance Corporation, National Health Insurance Service, National Health Insurance Cooperation, and other translations.
Now they are mainly using NHIS. |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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Korean Medical Insurance Union is just a euphemism in the contracts which actually mean the employee doesn't have health insurance. If this is in your contract, you'll go to the hospital and your boss may or may not pay for half of the cost.
It's crucial to have NHIC specifically mentioned in the contract. Even then, you'll need to check to make sure you actually have it, because sometimes schools will put it in the contract and not sign up the teacher. |
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Skippy
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 4:35 am Post subject: |
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| EZE wrote: |
Korean Medical Insurance Union is just a euphemism in the contracts which actually mean the employee doesn't have health insurance. If this is in your contract, you'll go to the hospital and your boss may or may not pay for half of the cost.
It's crucial to have NHIC specifically mentioned in the contract. Even then, you'll need to check to make sure you actually have it, because sometimes schools will put it in the contract and not sign up the teacher. |
That is one theory or usage. Yet, I commented that even some of the contracts that use KMIU sometimes link to the NHIC website.
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?p=2883068
| Quote: |
9. MEDICAL INSURANCE
Employee will be covered by medical benefits under the Korean Medical Insurance Union (http;//www.nhic.or.kr/ click English link) a Government Health Organization. The cost of this coverage will be borne half by employer and half by employee. Employee�s share of this coverage will be deducted from employee�s monthly salary.
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Why not just change the name to the name given on the website.
Yep that is also good advice is to always verify that things are been done properly. Check that you are enrolled in pension, you have insurance, and that you have some sort of tax presence. Trust, but verify.
| FriendlyDaegu wrote: |
Take English names of Korean entities with a grain of salt.
The 국민건강보험공단 has been referred to in English as the National Health Insurance Corporation, National Health Insurance Service, National Health Insurance Cooperation, and other translations. |
Yes I have seen some variations, but I have seen more of the use of "Korean Medical Insurance Union". I would guess of the the contract threads that Plus using the other ones sounds similar to NHIC and likely mean NHIC. Where as the very commonly used KMIU in search takes you now where!
Once again, why not clear up any doubts and change the contract to reflect the new name of health insurance. Proper name and people can be satisfied.
| 12ax7 wrote: |
You forgot the third scenario: Someone used an online translator or a crappy Korean-English dictionary to translate "국민건강보험공단" to English. |
I would believe that, if the usage of KMIU had not propagated to so many contracts. Must be many people who write the contracts with the same dictionary. Why not take the name from the website or off the card/pamphlet.
Plus, I did mention it might be a translation error. Yet a translation error that has stuck around for almost 7 years. In hundreds of contracts, maybe more on the contract review thread.
Why, I do not think it is likely a translation mistake is because not only are the words Korean Medical Insurance Union used frequently. The words "a Government Health Organization" are often following it. Do you think those words are part of a dictionary term.
I did just notice that a variation.
| Quote: |
| The instructor will be covered by medical benefits under the Korean Medical Insurance Union, a Government Health Organization. |
| Quote: |
| Employee will be covered by medical benefits under the Korean Medical Insurance Union, a Government Health Organization. |
I am guessing the instructor usage happens to reflect a more of an independent contractor type contract.
Last edited by Skippy on Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:11 am; edited 1 time in total |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 2:18 am Post subject: |
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| EZE wrote: |
Korean Medical Insurance Union is just a euphemism in the contracts which actually mean the employee doesn't have health insurance. If this is in your contract, you'll go to the hospital and your boss may or may not pay for half of the cost.
It's crucial to have NHIC specifically mentioned in the contract. Even then, you'll need to check to make sure you actually have it, because sometimes schools will put it in the contract and not sign up the teacher. |
Nope. They still have to register you with the NHIC and share the cost with you. It's compulsory. Even those who are self-employed must pay for it. |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| 12ax7 wrote: |
| Nope. They still have to register you with the NHIC and share the cost with you. It's compulsory. Even those who are self-employed must pay for it. |
That's the law, but we're talking about hagwons here. If you have the Korean Medical Insurance Union in your contract, you don't have national health insurance. |
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Skippy
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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| EZE wrote: |
| 12ax7 wrote: |
| Nope. They still have to register you with the NHIC and share the cost with you. It's compulsory. Even those who are self-employed must pay for it. |
That's the law, but we're talking about hagwons here. If you have the Korean Medical Insurance Union in your contract, you don't have national health insurance. |
Once again with KMIU I do not think it is an absolute. As mentioned, some contract use KMIU and then link to NHIC. Or some use the term and add the words "Government Organization". Some contracts mention it solely and still register workers properly. Some promise and do not sign up at all. EZE you are likely right in the sense places that use KMIU are more likely prone to be sneaky or try to pull a fast one. |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 12:00 am Post subject: |
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| EZE wrote: |
| 12ax7 wrote: |
| Nope. They still have to register you with the NHIC and share the cost with you. It's compulsory. Even those who are self-employed must pay for it. |
That's the law, but we're talking about hagwons here. If you have the Korean Medical Insurance Union in your contract, you don't have national health insurance. |
The contract can say anything you want it to, it remains that contributing to the NHIC is compulsory. |
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tob55
Joined: 29 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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| It appears to simply be a phrase they are using to refer to NHIC. Not sure why they choose to use it, but I noticed from a search that several recruiting agencies are also using this terminology in their advertisements for people. Perhaps it looks more official or legitimate for them to use it rather than referring to NHIC. Not sure, but National Health Insurance is required for all employers hiring people to work for them. |
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