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newintown
Joined: 01 Jan 2007
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 Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:52 am Post subject: is health insurance compulsory? |
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i'm not sure i want to pay it every month, i know there are all the arguements for insurance, and you never know what might happen, but surely if i do get sick, i'll have to pay something towards it, or if i'm that bad, i'll go home?
am i better cutting my losses? |
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europe2seoul
Joined: 12 Sep 2005
Location: Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:54 am Post subject: Re: is health insurance compulsory? |
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| newintown wrote: |
i'm not sure i want to pay it every month, i know there are all the arguements for insurance, and you never know what might happen, but surely if i do get sick, i'll have to pay something towards it, or if i'm that bad, i'll go home?
am i better cutting my losses? |
Get insurance. Its really not that much per month and can save your ass a lot. You would probably drink in one night what monthly premium is.
Anyway, its mandatory since its national insurance given by the government. |
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Octavius Hite
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Location: Househunting, looking for a new bunker from which to convert the world to homosexuality.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:12 am Post subject: |
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If you are in a hogwon, its not mandatory. In public schools it is madatory.
But really, are you that cheap? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:10 am Post subject: |
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| Octavius Hite wrote: |
If you are in a hogwon, its not mandatory. In public schools it is madatory.
But really, are you that cheap? |
As of Jan 2006 is became manditory for ALL foreign workers in Korea and that includes hakwon workers.
The cost is about 50k won per month or about 600k per year.
Break a leg and you are money ahead by having insurance.
National medical also covers basic dental work (fillings for 3000 won - root canal for 40k).
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newintown
Joined: 01 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:00 am Post subject: |
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| okily dokily, thanks for advice |
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mep3
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
Location: no
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:06 pm Post subject: ... |
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| I'm thinking of coming to Korea and I would definitely want the insurance. Is this government-provided insurance pretty solid? I don't mean perfect -- most insurance isn't perfect. I don't care if there are certain items here and there that aren't covered, or small co-pays or that kind of thing. I mean, is it pretty solid for major medical stuff if something should happen? Is the coverage high enough for major medical stuff and do they generally cover it? Thanks .... Mep |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:37 am Post subject: Re: ... |
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| mep3 wrote: |
| I'm thinking of coming to Korea and I would definitely want the insurance. Is this government-provided insurance pretty solid? I don't mean perfect -- most insurance isn't perfect. I don't care if there are certain items here and there that aren't covered, or small co-pays or that kind of thing. I mean, is it pretty solid for major medical stuff if something should happen? Is the coverage high enough for major medical stuff and do they generally cover it? Thanks .... Mep |
I honestly don't know, but I can tell you I'm going to look into it when I'm at the health insurance office next. It probably isn't all that extensive, so if it isn't I'm thinking of buying extra insurance- I figure if I never use it the premiums will stay low, and if something happens I'm covered for a million dollars in hospital fees. |
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mep3
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
Location: no
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| Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:25 pm Post subject: .. |
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| My guess would be that since it's national medical, and it even covers dental, it probably is pretty good for big stuff. I'd like to know too. Mep |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 12:12 am Post subject: Re: is health insurance compulsory? |
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| newintown wrote: |
| i'm not sure i want to pay it every month |
Tough patootie. you have to anyway.
As ttompatz said, it is mandatory as of last January--mandatory for ALL foreigners in Korea: hogwon teachers, public school, uni, fulltime, parttime... everyone must be enrolled. It's not a choice, it's not an option, it cannot be waived...yes, even if you have supplementary insurance from another source, you must still be enrolled in the national health plan.
Too many schools were avoiding enrolling their teachers, and it put too many foreigners in jeopardy of not being covered. So, the gov't made it mandatory for all foreigners working here. |
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mep3
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
Location: no
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| Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 12:20 am Post subject: .. |
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| I would definitely want the national insurance if I come. I've read in a number of threads that even though it was made mandatory for all FT's in Jan. 2006, a lot of hagwons still don't enroll their employees. Mep |
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georgiadawg
Joined: 04 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:44 am Post subject: Compulsory for everyone? |
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| According to the change in January 2006, is national insurance mandatory / compulsory for businesses with less than 5 employees? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:00 am Post subject: Re: Compulsory for everyone? |
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| georgiadawg wrote: |
| According to the change in January 2006, is national insurance mandatory / compulsory for businesses with less than 5 employees? |
Please allow me to quote the national medical insurance website:
Because of the amendment of the National Health Insurance Act on Jul. 13, 2005, without relation to the type of Status of Stay, all foreign workers and overseas Koreans who work for an workplace in Korea shall automatically be the employee insured since 1 January, 2006.
If foreign workers made or will make their employment contract with their employer before 1 January, 2006, they will be the employee insured from 1 January, 2006, and if they will make the employment contract with their employer since 2 January, 2006, they will be the employee insured since the first date of employment. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:46 am Post subject: Re: Compulsory for everyone? |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| georgiadawg wrote: |
| According to the change in January 2006, is national insurance mandatory / compulsory for businesses with less than 5 employees? |
Please allow me to quote the national medical insurance website:
Because of the amendment of the National Health Insurance Act on Jul. 13, 2005, without relation to the type of Status of Stay, all foreign workers and overseas Koreans who work for an workplace in Korea shall automatically be the employee insured since 1 January, 2006.
If foreign workers made or will make their employment contract with their employer before 1 January, 2006, they will be the employee insured from 1 January, 2006, and if they will make the employment contract with their employer since 2 January, 2006, they will be the employee insured since the first date of employment. |
He is correct about that. I let my ex-boss know about that. Many hagwons won't pay your health insurance. Many will. If your hagwon doesn't, and you don't care then no problem, but if you need some kind of treatment, you would be losing out big time. |
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mep3
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
Location: no
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| Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:56 am Post subject: ... |
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I also read this on their website. It says you have to intend to stay for More than one year or else you aren't required to enroll?:
Article 2(Target Groups of Coverage)
A. Foreigner
1. A foreigner who has intentions to stay in the Republic of Korea for more than one year with the Status of Sojourn D-1(culture/Art), D-2(Student), D-3(Industrial Trainees), D-4(General Trainees), D-5(Residence Report), D-6(Religious Worker), D-7(Intra-Company Transferees), D-8(Treaty Investor), D-9(Treaty Traders), E-1(Professors), E-2(Teaching Foreign Languages), E-3(Research), E-4(Special Technology Instruction), E-5(Special Occupations), E-7(Other Particular Occupations) and E-8(Industrial Trainees Employment) and her/his spouse and children under 20(F-3)
Here is the link:
http://www.nhic.or.kr/wbe/images/guide.doc
Thanks .... mep |
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