Korean Job Discussion Forums

[OBwannabe]

Hey all...

I was wondering if non-elective surgery is covered under the health care plan most NET's pay into.
A few years back I seem to recall a fundraiser for some poor guy who was in an apartment fire. Would his hospital bills not be covered under the health care the NET's pay in to?

I'm waiting on seeing a spinal specialist back here in Canada, but of course am on a long wait list as it's not considered an emergency. Yet I can't perform the duties of my current job(manual type work) because of the problems I'm having with my back. Oh Canadian Health Care...so overrated.

I would love to come back to the ROK asap, but would like to option of having surgery if deemed necessary, as long as it's covered under a teacher's health benefits as it is here.

Anyone know anything about how it works there. Is there a deductible? Do you have to pay in full? Has anyone on this board had any non-elective surgery done in Korea and want to throw out how much it cost out of pocket?

I suppose having the time off for recovery would be the trickiest part.

Thanks.

[yodanole]

I don't really know exactly what is covered and what isn't. However, I had
2 spinal surgical proceedures in an ordinary Korean hospital and insurance covered a lot of different things which I didn't really pay attention to. It was a lot less than 1/2 of what it would have cost back in the world.

Korean health care is a lot cheaper than it's western counterparts. There are a few reasons. The one that strikes me is that Korea wisely limits the number of new lawyers that are licensed each year, and malpractice suits
are a much, much smaller nuisance, and therefore a much, much smaller expense. Lawyers have other income generating options than chasing ambulances.

Private hospital rooms cost about as much as an inexpensive motel in the Lands of the Waddling Whales. Yet another factor affecting health care costs.

Just about any health care you can imagine is best obtained in Korea instead of the West, unless it's an experimental or obscure proceedure not involving cloning wooly mammoths.

[OBwannabe]

As much as I don't care for the Canadian health care system....if surgery is necessary it is absolutely free. This includes hospital stay and recovery/therapy. But unless it is considered absolutely urgent then you can be waiting months. Even up to a year. I don't plan on putting my life on hold if I don't have to. No supplemental health insurance is required.
As for as I know anyway.

What is 1/2 of what it would have been in the "world"?
I hear that surgery and hospital stays are extremely expensive in the States.

[sallymonster]

On Korean government NHIC health insurance, you'll definitely have to pay coinsurance for surgery.

I recently had an appendectomy at a local university hospital (my appendix had not burst). I paid almost 900,000 won out of pocket, including emergency room fees (I went in on a Sunday, try to go in during the week to avoid the ER and save money), tests (x-rays, blood work), 3-day hospital stay (6-person room), pre-op and post-op medications, and the follow-up appointment. Keep in mind that a private or semi-private room is more expensive, and that you might want to hire a caregiver while you're in the hospital (hospitals here don't have CNAs, either your family does that stuff or you hire someone). I didn't hire a caregiver and mostly managed on my own.

In the US, with no insurance (or crappy high deductible insurance), I would've ended up with more medical debt than students loan debt, and my credit rating would've been ruined for at least the next several years as I'd be unable to pay it off.

In the US, with good health insurance (such my father's health plan which he gets through his labor union), I would've paid very little out of pocket, maybe a couple hundred dollars at the most.

[sallymonster]

Oh, and one more thing. . . you need Korean guarantor in order to have surgery or stay in the hospital as an inpatient here. I think it's to make sure you pay your bill at the end of your hospital stay. I think they'll admit you without a guarantor if your illness or injury is a life-or-death immediate matter, but since my appendix was only mildly inflamed they made me find someone.

I was seriously afraid that my boss wouldn't sign the papers, because I knew she wouldn't want me absent from classes. Luckily, she recognized the seriousness of my situation and signed. I paid my own bill upon my release from the hospital.

OP, if you do decide to come back to Korea, do your absolute best to get on good terms with your boss and/or co-teachers. In your situation, it's probably best to try to get a public school job rather than a hagwon, as a hagwon has more to lose from your absence and is more likely to give you grief about your surgery.

[yodanole]

Yeah, I'm not really familiar with the Canadian health care system. In the US, if you have top notch insurance, then OK. But it better be TOP NOTCH.
Or you'll pretty much be giving up not only your firstborn son, but the next 9 after that as well.

I didn't have to get a guarantor for my surgeries, but I had been a patient at that hospital for about 10 years. So they at the very least knew that I had health insurance and a history of paying any hospital bills upon being discharged, in cash.

[youtuber]

What is covered by National Korean Health Care? Not enough.

I had elective surgery in Korea (lower body injury) and paid thousands.

And the recovery is very difficult in a foreign country.

Wait it out in Canada. It is the best advice.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

Stay in Canada until you're done.

But people criticizing Korean health care vs. Canada must recognize you get what you pay for. You/we hardly pay any taxes in Korea, vs. being slaves to tax in Canada. If taxes in Canada were 4% I'd still be there.

[Modernist]

Hmm, I paid ~700,000 for my femur surgery, including all the standard operational costs [being put under, meds, crutches] and a week in a 5-person room. I also didn't get any 'assistance' from a CNA-type, which did truly suck for the most part--I was under orders not even to move my leg; you try doing that for a solid week. I tried to, um, convince the nurses to help, but it seemed to be grudging most of the time. Depending on your post-op mobility, that can be the worst part of time in a Korean hospital.

I didn't have to get a guarantor because my surgery was considered emergency, in that they did it literally less than 15 hours after the injury occurred, including quite a lot of travel time and locating an orthopedic specialist to do it.

They do seem to expect you back quite soon. I had to come to my school on crutches as soon as I was discharged. Typical Korean BS--show your dedication to the job regardless of your physical condition.

Still, the ops here are 1000x cheaper than what people in America with no or bad health insurance will deal with. Mine would have probably cost over $10,000 total there.

[nicwr2002]

My appendectomy in America cost 21,000 dollars without insurance. Luckily I was still in college and was able to obtain a 100% write off, but still.... I would say get it done in Korea.

[tideout]

I've got plenty of beefs with Korea but I have to say I've had excellent health care here.

I recently had a minor surgery that cost all of $80. Even the follow up visits were as little as a few thousand Won. Incredible if you're from the States at least.