Foreign dependents might have to wait for medical insurance

Social Affairs

Published: 25 Aug. 2022, 19:03 Updated: 26 Aug. 2022, 01:00

Foreign dependents might have to wait for medical insurance

Foreign laborers rally in downtown Seoul on Aug. 21 demanding the Korean government guarantee their labor rights and stem racial discrimination. The Health Ministry this week warned of stricter rules for foreign dependents seeking health insurance coverage. [YONHAP]

Foreign dependents might soon have to live in Korea for at least six months to be covered by the health insurance of a relative working for a local company.

Currently, foreign dependents are covered regardless of how long they've been in Korea.

Officials at the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Health Insurance Service told reporters Wednesday that internal discussions were being held on the matter.

The issue was said to have been raised with President Yoon Suk-yeol when First Vice Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong gave a policy briefing to him late last week, though Yoon’s response was not revealed.

If Yoon’s past remarks offer any hints, he may support the idea. While running for president earlier this year, Yoon raised the issue, accusing foreigners of “putting their spoons on tables prepared by Korean citizens,” a Korean adage that means to piggyback.

Health officials this week did not give a deadline as to when the policy might be changed – or if it will be changed for sure.

If it does change, a health official said that spouses and pre-adult children will likely be exempted so as to prevent any “good-willed” foreign dependents from being disadvantaged.

Under domestic laws, foreigners working at an insured company are compulsorily subscribed to the National Health Insurance and must pay monthly premiums just like Koreans. This is known as an insured employee. A dependent is someone whose livelihood is dependent on the insured employee.

Dependents include spouses, children, siblings and lineal ascendants and descendants of the spouses of the insured employee.

In explaining why they were targeting foreigners, health authorities pointed to instances in which insured foreigners sign up siblings or relatives as dependents even when they’re not physically living in Korea – and have them fly in when they need a serious medical operation.

A woman in her 70s whose son-in-law was an employee in Korea entered the country on Feb. 29, 2020, and received treatment for gastric cancer over the course of six months just two weeks after she landed, receiving 70 million won ($52,500) worth of health insurance benefits.

On April 5, 2020, a Vietnamese man whose son-in-law was also an employee in Korea landed in the country and received operations for a liver ailment – just 16 days after he arrived. He received 35 million won worth of health insurance benefits, health officials said.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]