Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Zaphirelee]

My school told me three months into the contract that they will pay half my medical bills, but won't pay for the health insurance they promised. I can't seem to get it through to them that I'd rather have the insurance.
Is there a way to buy private healthy insurance. I'm more concerned about emergencies as I'm pretty sure that my school would not be able to afford something big like surgery, getting hit by a bus etc.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I agree that having health insurance is better than being stuck with the hope that the school could pay a major bill in an emergency. I think maybe a call to Immi or the Labor Board might do the trick. They have more leverage with your boss than you do.

[IwalkAlone]

I doubt immigration even cares and the Labor Board would care but you might have to jumo through some hoops and is better used as a last resort. Sign yourself up without your schools consent. NHIC is the national insurance and once you are enrolled, the school has to pay 50% of your premiums. Right now at my school, I get my insurance bills in the mail and pay them 100% out of pocket. But on payday I show my employer the stubs and he refunds me half. He isn't even involved with the process as everything is in my name.

To summarize, tell your school in one week you plan to enroll yourself into the plan and they will have to meet their contractual obligation. If they say no, then enroll away!

website info for NHIC is here: http://www.nhic.or.kr/wbe/index.html

[prairieboy]

If your employer doesn't enroll you and you are injured in an accident and have to be hospitalized, you can sue him. It's his responsibility.

The premiums can be back payed by both of you in this event and then just a deductible would have to be paid.

Paying for it up front is cheaper than him actually footing half the bill if you are hospitalized, and I doubt you'd be able to cover half of your medical bills if you didn't have health insurance in the case of hospitalization.

Your employer has a legal obligation to you in this, it's not covered by labour law, it's the NHIC. No link because I know of this first hand from a previous experience.

Ask your boss what he will do if you end up in the hospital for several weeks because of an accident. How will he pay for half of a medical bill that could run into the õ���� range? Better yet, how will you pay for it? It's really much cheaper to have it then to have to deal with the fall out later and the ruined relationship.

Cheers

[bellum99]

You can sue the employer but it is not easy. Better to not be in that position. Just demand healthcare.

[swupak]

if you're from the U.S. (and maybe even if you're not), you can try buying what's called traveler's insurance. it doesn't mean that you have to be "traveling" but that's just what it's called. i got a year's worth with a $250 deductible for $1,000,000 of coverage for about $600.

[hogwonguy1979]

Do what iwalkalone said, get signed up yourself, you will have to backpay 3 months but may only be like 200k, even if your employer refuses to pay it will cost you 72k/month approx. Money well spent if you ask me. God forbid if you do something stupid after drinking or slip on the ice and sprain your ankle etc, its worth having. hey sh*t happens

don't even ask your employer, as nike says just do it

[kalbi]

What is the Korean law on this? Can we ask our emplyer to contribute to an insuranceof our choosing, such as the travel insurance another poster mentiined?

Do we have to prove that we have medical insurance?
or, do we have to be insured specifically withthe Korean National Insurance c.?

[napoleon8]

[denverdeath]

Go here...

http://www.ekois.co.kr/

and do a search under Busan for ���ΰǰ��������. 12 locations come up(sorry can't copy and paste the info). Choose the one for your area from there.

[Big Mac]

Your employer has no choice but to give you the national medical insurance. It's law. It should only cost you 2.2 per cent of your monthly pay and your boss has to match that.

Is your boss giving you pension? It's law too. That seems to be the reason employers try to avoid giving medical insurance because when you register for insurance something happens that also informs the pension office of your presence. Bosses really don't like this because it costs them a lot of money. 4.5 per cent for you and the same for him. Remember, it's worth your while though because as long as you are from North America you get it back when you leave Korea.

[pest2]