Korean Job Discussion Forums

[milspecs]

So what happend was,

My friend has been studying at a Uni in Seoul for the past 6 months. She is on a F4 or F2 visa. Cant recall

Anyways shes doesnt have medical insurance atm and she would like to sign up since she'll be here for another year. She asked me, but I have no idea how to go about doing it. My Korean friends were a bit puzzled when I asked. One friend said, if she were to get medical insurance, she might have to pay retroactively for the insurance starting from the day she arrived in Korea.

I found this link

http://www.korea4expats.com/article-where-to-apply-for-the-national-health-insurance.html

Is calling the Seoul Branch listed on the page the best way about going at it?

Thanks!

[hostness]

I'm very curious as well. There's a National Health Insurance Company where you can apply apparently. But I gave their english service a call and the woman on the line told me that since I'm on an F4 visa I'd have to wait 90 days after my arrival here.

Does that mean I really have to wait 90 days? It's strange to me being in a country with insurance run through the gov't since if I'm locked out with them for 90 days, do I have no other options?

It worries me that I'm possibly uninsured during this time. Can someone please tell me this is false and I can go get at least some form of medical insurance?

[coralreefer_1]

I may be able to shed a bit of light on this, as I just went through it last week.

I cant be sure about the f-class visas but in the case of almost all the other types, they must apply for it WITHIN 90 days from the last arrival date in their passport. If that 90 days has gone by, you must pay it retro.

I re-entered Korea in 2008 after visiting family back home, but I had insurance through AIG, so never considered the national plan. However even though I had previous insurance until very recently, the NHIC program does not recognize that as coverage and will still ask you to register within 90 days, or pay it back.

In that above case, 6 months isn't so bad to pay back, but in my case, it would have been 22 months to pay retro and the woman actually advised me to simply take a short trip..only enough to get a new arrival stamp in my passport and return and be sure to register within 90 days.

[Lolimahro]

I would call the NHIC Hotline and ask about it. Here's the number for the hotline in English: 02)390-2000.

http://kitcheninafishbowl.blogspot.com/2009/09/alien-adventures-part-2-i-can-has.html

I didn't have to wait 90 days for my family, even though I entered on an E-2. As soon as I switched them over to dependant (F3) visas, I went straight to the NHIC office in my "gu" and got the insurance booklet within minutes. I can only assume it works the same with other visa types, but I would call the NHIC hotline just to be sure.

Best of luck!

[hostness]

Called today again, and got the same answer. 90 day wait for f4 visas self employed.

Don't understand this policy at all.

[JustTurtle]

so even if you have full coverage insurance from your homeland you are still required to carry their insurance? i'm confused.

[laguna]

nhic website, that's all you need, the end