A to Z of Korean national health insurance for foreigners

K-campus

Published: 15 Jun. 2023, 16:00

A to Z of Korean national health insurance for foreigners

A National Health Insurance Service office in Mapo District, western Seoul [NEWS1]

Beth Wordley, a 21-year-old exchange student at the Seoul National University, did not know she would be automatically registered for the national health insurance upon her arrival in Korea.

To cancel her registration, she bought her own international health insurance policy. However, when she tried to do so, the National Healthcare Insurance Service (NHIS) told her they could not cancel it because she bought her own after arriving in Korea.

Now she is paying for both insurances.

"I wish I had known earlier, but I could not find enough information about the cancellation process and requirements online," Wordley said.

Since July 2019, all foreigners residing in Korea who are not on a tourist visa are automatically registered for national health insurance (NHI) upon entering Korea, a way in which the government ensures all foreigners residing in Korea have their basic health needs met.

If an employer sponsors a foreigner's visa, the employer manages the registration process on behalf of the beneficiary. However, those whose visas are not sponsored by an employer have to handle the process by themselves.

But how much does Korea's NHI cover? And what if you already have an insurance policy from your home country? This article briefly explains how the NHI works, the prices, the coverage, the exceptions and the cancellation process.

Advantages of being enrolled in the NHI

The NHI offers almost full medical coverage, so pretty much everything you need will be covered. However, certain tests and services that are not deemed essential are excluded, including cosmetic procedures and alternative medicine. As for the coverage duration, all foreigners will be covered during their stay in Korea unless they are on a tourist visa.

An example of a monthly payment letter for health insurance in Korea [MIREIA MARTINEZ]

Prices, payments and fines

The prices vary depending on your visa type and your location in the country. Students on D-2 and D-4 visas have to pay since March 2023 around 71,920 won ($53) per month. However, the standard monthly amount for other visas is 143,840 won. Other foreigners that receive a discount on their NHIS monthly payment are the D-6 religious worker visa holders and the G-1 recuperation and treatment visa holders, who receive a discount of 30 percent. F5 and F6 visas, for permanent residents and the spouses of Korean Nationals, pay on the same scale Korean nationals are subject to.

Even though you pay the monthly fee, policyholders have to pay deductibles. Generally, the copay for primary care is approximately 30 percent of the total cost, which also depends on the type of hospital you visit. To know the amount of your copay, you can always contact the clinic you plan to visit beforehand and compare prices to go to the one you find more convenient.

As for the monthly payments, you will have a letter delivered to your house with a QR code. There are various payment methods. You can scan the QR code and pay with your mobile phone if it is linked to your Alien Registration Card (ARC) and bank account, or you can go to any convenience store and pay with cash or a Korean credit card. You can also transfer the money to the NHIS or even in person at an NHIS office.

The moment of payment depends on your visa type. For example, D-2 student visa holders are automatically registered to the NHIS once their ARC is issued. The first letter, however, arrives when you get your physical ARC, which could take up to a month after your ARC is registered online, and it will show the amount you have to pay from the moment of your alien registration to the month you receive the letter. However, the F series immigration visa holders, for example, are registered to the NHIS six months after arrival.

However, note that there is a payment deadline for everyone.

An application form regarding exclusion for national health insurance for overseas Koreans and foreigners [NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SERVICE]

Cancellation

Already have an insurance policy from your home country? Do not worry. You opt out of the NHI if your home country's insurance covers more than 1 billion won and you bought it before arriving in Korea.

You can only cancel your registration to the NHIS after you get your ARC, so if you are to cancel, you should do so as soon as you get your physical ARC.

To cancel it, go to the NHIS office for foreigners in Guro District, western Seoul, and bring your ARC, your passport and the translation of your insurance policy from home in English and Korean. The cancellation form is available here and is also provided on-site.

Last but not least, if you are a student who has resided in Korea for more than one year and your yearly income in Korea in the previous year was more than 3.6 million won, you have no chance of getting the discount, and you will have to pay the standard 143,840 won amount. This also includes any economic benefit from a scholarship of over 3.6 million won a year, even if it comes from the Korean government.

Exceptions

Certain nationalities can be exempt from the NHI since the Korean government accepts their home country's national insurance as a valid policy while residing in South Korea. This is the case for people from countries like Saudi Arabia or Japan, who can get a document from the government regarding their health insurance to get exempted. To do so, they must present that document to the NHIS office.

Another similar case is France. People from France can get an exemption just by presenting the original and a photocopy of their ARC at the office. If they have their own national insurance, no other document is required.

Lastly, people with economic difficulties, such as single mothers or jobless people, can qualify for discounts.

Contact information

As mentioned earlier, the terms of your NHI and the way you are registered and whether you can opt out of it vary based on your visa type, location, nationality and income. For further inquiries, you should refer to the NHIS.

The office for foreigners is located on the 3rd floor of the Sindorim Techno Mart in Guro District, western Seoul. The store is near Sindorim Station, and you can get there by getting on Line 1 or 2. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Sunday.

You can also call the office at 033-811-2000 to talk to someone who can speak foreign languages, including English. The line is also open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Sunday. For more information and guidelines, you can visit their webpage.

BY STUDENT REPORTER MIREIA MARTINEZ [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]