Korean Job Discussion Forums

[prosodic]

So, the uni hakwon I'm at is claiming that foreigners can't subscribe to the National Health Insurance Corporation plan. Instead, they "subscribed" us to a private plan in which we pay up front and get reimbursed down the road. I put "subscribed" in quotes because they haven't shown us any documentation of this private insurance plan. I know that this is a bunch of B.S.

It doesn't actually bother me a whole lot as I'm planning to be at another university by the beginning of March. Still, I'd like the remaining instructors to have better working conditions after I leave, and I don't want to create to much of a furor. So, I'm looking for advice on how to handle this situation tactfully.

Thanks

[nrvs]

I just posted about this! I'm in the same boat at my school.

[prairieboy]

NHIC is available to foreigners. It's optional but there is a catch. Once you are in you can't get out. Also, if you do opt into the plan at anytime in the future, NHIC will bill you back-premiums to the time of your arrival in Korea.

So, if you want to get NHIC or may want to get NHIC health coverage it's best to get it sooner rather than later.

Cheers

[prosodic]

Thanks. I should have been clearer. I know all of this already, and I know how to deal with it forcefully if need be. However, I'm looking for ideas on how to handle this without being overly confrontational.

[sadsac]

There is both private and government insurance available. Private is usually more expensive than the NHIC insurance, but it will often cover incidental expenses as well.

[prosodic]

Update: I asked to see a copy of the policy for the private insurance. There is none.

Sadsac, you're right. Private insurance isn't necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. The problem is when a school chooses private insurance in order to try to avoid paying into the pension scheme.