Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Caffeinated]

I've been planning on taking a trip to the doc for possible allergies and to the dentist for a cleaning but I don't have my national health insurance card yet. Will I wind up paying more without the health card, or is the ARC an acceptable substitute? I'd rather avoid paying more then doing the paperwork to get the money back.

[mr. positive]

It really depends on the type of doctor visit. Of course, you'll pay more without your national health insurance card, but it depends on how important it is to you to visit the doctor right away. For example, when I had a skin problem, I paid 30,000 with my national health insurance, and the doctor told me it would have been 100,000 otherwise - still not bad my book. So you'll pay extra for sure, but I guess you just have to balance that against having to wait until you get your health insurance card to go to the doctor.

Oh, and dental is not covered at all under the national health insurance, so might as well just go to the dentist whenever you feel like it.

[morrisonhotel]

[AsiaESLbound]

Wow, I too had my teeth cleaned a month ago which cost me nothing. They did take record of my health card into their computer. Almost unbelievably, they did not want to replace all my fillings as to create themselves a little work, but told me I had excellent oral health.

[World Traveler]

[ttompatz]

[Caffeinated]

Thanks for the answers so far! Seems like it would be worth my while to wait for the card.

[morrisonhotel]

[Lunar Groove Gardener]

I've used my Alien Registration Card at the hospital.
It was sufficient. If you are already paying insurance
you should be in the system...one would think.

[ttompatz]

[mattdsoares]

Officially you're supposed to have to show your health card to get service under the plan...in reality this isn't always true.

When I started I had the national plan but it took almost 2 weeks after I was signed up to actually get my health card.

I had bronchitis and went to a clinic and told them I didn't have insurance. I had my ARC, but because I didn't have the health card I assumed I did not have insurance yet either. Without me asking, they looked me up by my ARC and found that I DID indeed already have the health plan, despite not having yet physically taken delivery of the card yet. What would have been a 50,000 Won bill (still very reasonable), it cost me 3,000.

So ask your school if they've signed you up yet. If they say yes but they haven't received the card, tell this to the doctor's office and they SHOULD be able to look it up by your ARC. If the school says they haven't signed you up yet, then you're SOL. That being said, medical care is pretty damn cheap here even without the health insurances compared to the US.

[morrisonhotel]

[hogwonguy1979]

root canal fri cost me 12,000 won, crowns arent covered but they run 400k or so, about 1/10th the cost back home

[jjk]

If you go to the doctor for a visit before you are in the system, just keep the receipts. Just make sure your ARC number is recorded on it.

Come tax time there is a box for medical expenses that are over the NIC cost, and you can use those receipts for a deduction on your tax bill.

[crossmr]