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SteveBiko
Joined: 31 Oct 2010
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 Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:49 pm Post subject: opting out of Health Insurance |
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has anyone here chosen to opt out of health insurance?
is it possible?
when i asked my employer if i could opt out, they told me that it is mandatory.
i am not certain, because you know how it is in korea: everyone gives a different answer.
is there a statute, and if so, post a link. |
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gogophoto
Joined: 20 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:05 pm Post subject: Re: opting out of Health Insurance |
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| SteveBiko wrote: |
has anyone here chosen to opt out of health insurance?
is it possible?
when i asked my employer if i could opt out, they told me that it is mandatory.
i am not certain, because you know how it is in korea: everyone gives a different answer.
is there a statute, and if so, post a link. |
Your employer is correct. I'm posting the National Health Insurance Corporation of Korea's website:
http://www.nhic.or.kr/portal/site/eng/menuitem.1ae3bb69fc2bea0644416433062310a0/
It is made clear that even self-employed foreign residents cannot opt out of the system. If you are interested in the relevant statute, I'm sure you can find it on the website if you click around enough. |
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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| Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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You can't, it's the law that all employees must support the National Health Insurance Corporation which operates the social system program that pays social security and health care for the elderly.
I too agree it would be better to drop paying $50 a month for NHIC and get international insurance instead that pays for ER in Korea, your medivac home, and hospital care upon arrival should you get banged up really bad in an accident or something else goes badly wrong while abroad. With NHIC, anything outside of seeing a doctor for a cold will cost you more than a small co-pay. It's really not insurance in our best interests, but only serves the system's interests of collecting revenue. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 1:47 am Post subject: |
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| I wouldn't worry about it too much. Most of your directors have already opted you out anyways...that doesn't mean it's still not being deducted from your pay... |
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Vagabundo
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 2:29 am Post subject: |
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| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
You can't, it's the law that all employees must support the National Health Insurance Corporation which operates the social system program that pays social security and health care for the elderly.
I too agree it would be better to drop paying $50 a month for NHIC and get international insurance instead that pays for ER in Korea, your medivac home, and hospital care upon arrival should you get banged up really bad in an accident or something else goes badly wrong while abroad. With NHIC, anything outside of seeing a doctor for a cold will cost you more than a small co-pay. It's really not insurance in our best interests, but only serves the system's interests of collecting revenue. |
surely you jest.
I'd much rather pay into Korea's health care system than the American.
Many Americans don't realize the preposterous cost of health care stateside since their jobs pay their insurance (though this is decreasing, or quality of coverage is decreasing). If you were actually responsible for shouldering your insurance costs, you'd change your tune very very quickly.
that's why I plan on becoming an avowed "medical tourist". |
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hubbahubba
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:16 am Post subject: |
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| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
You can't, it's the law that all employees must support the National Health Insurance Corporation which operates the social system program that pays social security and health care for the elderly.
I too agree it would be better to drop paying $50 a month for NHIC and get international insurance instead that pays for ER in Korea, your medivac home, and hospital care upon arrival should you get banged up really bad in an accident or something else goes badly wrong while abroad. With NHIC, anything outside of seeing a doctor for a cold will cost you more than a small co-pay. It's really not insurance in our best interests, but only serves the system's interests of collecting revenue. |
lol...Wow.. you're that delude that you think $50 bucks a month is going to get medivac, careback home, and long term follow up back in the ol' USandA. Have you actually paid, or better yet, tried to use health care in America...lol..parents been paying..is my wild ass assumption. |
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Vagabundo
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:35 am Post subject: |
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| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
You can't, it's the law that all employees must support the National Health Insurance Corporation which operates the social system program that pays social security and health care for the elderly.
I too agree it would be better to drop paying $50 a month for NHIC and get international insurance instead that pays for ER in Korea, your medivac home, and hospital care upon arrival should you get banged up really bad in an accident or something else goes badly wrong while abroad. With NHIC, anything outside of seeing a doctor for a cold will cost you more than a small co-pay. It's really not insurance in our best interests, but only serves the system's interests of collecting revenue. |
btw. without commenting on you specifically.
I will say it's "attitudes" such as the one you purportedly sport that enable the American pharma companies to warn you against buying drugs from Canada at half price, because they might not be "safe".
(cuz you know, there are thousands of Canadians who get sick or die daily from their "unsafe" drugs) 
while doing so with a straight face.
Personally, I'll take my chances with drugs made in Thailand and India, and Brazil, etc at 1/10th to 1/20th the price. |
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Vagabundo wrote: |
| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
You can't, it's the law that all employees must support the National Health Insurance Corporation which operates the social system program that pays social security and health care for the elderly.
I too agree it would be better to drop paying $50 a month for NHIC and get international insurance instead that pays for ER in Korea, your medivac home, and hospital care upon arrival should you get banged up really bad in an accident or something else goes badly wrong while abroad. With NHIC, anything outside of seeing a doctor for a cold will cost you more than a small co-pay. It's really not insurance in our best interests, but only serves the system's interests of collecting revenue. |
surely you jest.
I'd much rather pay into Korea's health care system than the American.
Many Americans don't realize the preposterous cost of health care stateside since their jobs pay their insurance (though this is decreasing, or quality of coverage is decreasing). If you were actually responsible for shouldering your insurance costs, you'd change your tune very very quickly.
that's why I plan on becoming an avowed "medical tourist". |
I did in fact carry Blue Cross for years at $70 a month for individual and never fell under a parents plan as they didn't have. It was a $10 co-pay to see a doctor, but you had to make that appointment a month or longer in advance. The costs are only preposterous back home since it's a big business looking to earn a fat pay check. It's especially expensive if you take a newer medicine that hasn't reached it's 7 year mark. There aren't many jobs any more that provide coverage, but sell a group plan. Often it's too expensive running $250 for individual and upwards of $500 for family medical. That's how much it costs at jobs paying a low wage. Why so much? Costs are high since profit margins and salaries are high in the medical industry along with unknown fees and amounts such as sales commissions for dealing it via your employer. In Korea, it's not about making money nor is it about dealing over priced drugs to make the drug companies money like back home, it's more about discouraging people from using anything as to keep costs down and limit drug use.
I would much prefer to shop for insurance and apply my money in a smarter way than generic insurance that reduces only a little an already fairly low cost outpatient clinic system like they have here. NHIC isn't enough if you get really sick, in a bad accident, or need medivac home along with care back there. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with AsiaESLBound. I paid 130 a month after I graduated college and was off the family plan. 130 a month all on my own, or 65 bucks if it was through an employer vs 50k a month here... Having used the medical system here and back home, while I like the system here, I'd rather be in the US for any sort of serious care.
Hubbahubba, do some research. Emergency medical evacuation and followup treatment can be had for a fairly low cost. 50 bucks isn't outside the realm of possibility, if one does their homework. |
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