Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MaestroCantus]

OK, I am a Canadian (lived in Ontario my entire life), and I'm just wondering how the medical systems differ in South Korea.

As an Ontarian, I never had to worry about getting sick, or paying medical bills.

I've discovered that you must pay for healthcare in Korea.

So my questions to Canadians are:

1) How would you compare Healthcare in Korea to Healthcare in Canada / Ontario?

2) What are the costs of health care? (i.e. from small things like obtaining a perscription to what might be the cost if one was to have amajor illness/accident).

3) How much of a risk is it to come to Korea with their healthcare system? (i.e. should I be worried about having issues if I get sick, or hit by a car, or something . . . and having my employer hit me with requesting money back because I wasn't able to complete a contract or work because of it)

4) What can you say about additional insurance? (i.e. traveller's insurance, or anything you would call it) . . . What would it include, and how much would it cost?


Any advice would be appreciated, especially from Ontarians.

[teachergirltoo]

I hope my answers help you a bit. I am Canadian/American and have used the medical system in both countries. I have also been able to use the healthcare system here on occasion.

1) I have found the basic healthcare here quite adequate. The have received good care and the doctors have seemed quite comptetant.

2) The employer usually covers 50% of your fee. I do not have a payslip handy, but the fee off my cheque is very minimal. Maybe equivalent to $30 per month. Regarding prescription costs. I am just finishing a course of antibiotics for 10 days. The total cost of the visit to the specialist and the antibiotics included, was the equivalent of $8. I haven't had anything major happen, but I did snap my achilles tendon last year and the treatment for it out of my pocket cost me the equivalent of $6.

3) I can't speak on this one. I work in the public school system and my employer wouldn't do this. Off the top of my head I can't think of a reason that your employer would want money back from you. I am a big encourager of people working for public schools so if you haven't signed with someone already, I would suggest you go that route, as you are given sick days, and extended sick days within your contract in case of serious sickness or emergency.

4) Because I am not a resident of Canada or the US anymore, when I travel outside of Korea to Canada and the US, I have been using Liason Internaitonal through Seven Corners insurance for coverage. Their rates are really good. And they did tell me that with a deductible of $500 they will cover a person worldwide, year-round, for a fee of something like $1100 even with Korea - for extra insurance if that is what a person wants. Someone recently posted a link to Footprints Recruiting website that had three outside companies that offered insurance too - some with life insurance and long term disability included if that is what a person wants.

Anyways, I hope some of this will be helpful to you.

[ttompatz]

[Typhoon]

The care here is great. It is way more convienent then Canada. If you need a doctor, MRI or any service you can get it right away with no wait time. The down side is that if you have a major accident and need serious care you have to pay quite a bit. I would say get extra insurance if you want to cover your bases.