Health insurance for international students in South Korea
Health insurance for international insurance is mandatory. If you are a student or an expat worker, you need to acquire health insurance if you wish to stay in South Korea.
Medical insurance covers the medical expenses in South Korea. The National Health Insurance Corporation provides health insurance for international students in South Korea.
This insurance applies to foreign students who stay in South Korea for at least one year. International students, their spouses, and children under the age of 20 are entitled to insurance. To apply, you will need to submit a copy of your registration card and proof of residence to one of your company's offices.
International students can also purchase insurance packages from a private firm. In case of injury or illness, students can pay for their treatment from clinics or hospitals and later apply for reimbursement from the insurance company.
Eligibility of international students for health insurance in South Korea:
The international students with a D-2 Visa first need to obtain a registration card. Then, from next month, they can start contributing to their health insurance. The insurance package usually costs around 40000 KWN. Go through the details of the insurance package before acquiring it.
International students with a D-4 Visa can skip the first six months since they are on a language learning visa. But, after six months, they have to pay for insurance on a monthly basis.
International students get the same insurance benefits as Korean citizens. There’s no difference when it comes to the National Health Insurance Program from a legal point of view. Health insurance in South Korea covers several financial expenses such as a dental checkups, health check-ups, pregnancy, childbirth-related expenses, accidents, etc. The insurance does not include plastic surgery expenses though.
The government of Korea has made it strict for everyone to contribute to insurance each month. If international students did not pay for health insurance then they may face problems with visa extensions.
When you get NHI medical services, co-payments apply depending on the type of health care provider. The amount of co-payment you pay depends on the institution you receive the care from and the type of care you get. Generally, co-payment reduces costs by 20 percent on inpatient hospital care, 30 to 50 percent on outpatient hospital care, and 35 to 40 percent on pharmacy bills.