How much are hospital bills in Korea, really?
They say your share is 30%, so how much money comes out of your wallet? I’ll tell you the actual amount.
A cold at a Clinic / local doctor's office (1st tier): up to 10,000 KRW, appendicitis surgery: 100,000~300,000 KRW, implant: 800,000~1,800,000 KRW. If you have Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance), most costs go down a lot.
How much is treatment covered by health insurance, really?
For 'NHI-covered service (geupyeo)' items covered by health insurance, the hospital pays 70% and I pay 30%. In actual amounts, it looks like this.
| Treatment item | out-of-pocket payment | For reference |
|---|---|---|
| 🏥 Local Clinic / local doctor's office (1st tier) (cold) | About 5,000 KRW + medicine cost 3,000~4,500 KRW | It’s all done for about 10,000 KRW total. |
| 🦷 Dental scaling | About 17,800 KRW | Insurance coverage applies once a year |
| 🔬 Blood test | About 3,000~10,000 KRW | |
| 📷 X-ray | About 3,000~6,000 KRW | |
| 🖥️ CT scan | About 28,000~82,000 KRW | Varies depending on the body part and contrast agent |
| 🧲 MRI (NHI-covered service (geupyeo)) | About 80,000~150,000 KRW | From 2025, the range of NHI-covered service (geupyeo) will expand |
| 🛏️ 1 day of hospitalization (6-person room) | About 14,000~20,000 KRW | 20% copayment |
| 🔪 Appendicitis surgery + hospitalization | About 100,000~300,000 KRW | DRG bundled payment applies |
Eligibility for Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance) depends on your visa type. For detailed enrollment conditions and the Tier for each visa, check EP.13 'Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance), foreigners can join too'!
Items not covered by insurance, I have to pay the full amount myself.
Items classified as 'Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo)' are 100% paid by you. This is where 'bill shock' happens.
| Item | Average cost | For reference |
|---|---|---|
| 🦷 Dental implant | about 1,300,000 KRW each | There can be a difference of 550,000~2,500,000 KRW depending on the hospital. |
| 🦷 Orthodontics | about 3,000,000~5,000,000 KRW | Metal 2M KRW / Ceramic 3.5M KRW / Clear 4M KRW |
| 👁️ LASIK/LASEK | about 1,500,000~3,000,000 KRW | Both eyes standard |
| 💆 Manual therapy (non-covered) | about Government Civil Service Call Center,000 KRW/session | Possible: 400,000~1,000,000 KRW per month |
| 🛏️ Single room hospital ward | About 154,000 KRW/day | Seoul large hospitals 200,000~350,000 KRW/day |
| 🧲 MRI (Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo)) | about 700,000 KRW | 5–8 times compared to NHI-covered service (geupyeo) MRI |
| 🏥 Comprehensive health checkup (Premium) | 3M~5M KRW | National health screening is free once every 2 years |
From September 2024, the out-of-pocket cost for mild cases in the emergency room is 90%!
There was a big change. From September 13, 2024, if a patient with a mild condition goes to a large emergency room, the out-of-pocket cost is 90%.
Before change: 50~60% copayment
After change: 90% copayment (KTAS level 4~5, regional emergency medical center)
For real emergency situations (KTAS levels 1–3), your out-of-pocket cost is still 20%.
If it is mild, please first look for a nearby Clinic / local doctor's office (1st tier) or a clinic with night service!
Even for the same MRI, the price can differ by up to 3.3 times depending on the hospital. On the HIRA Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo) treatment cost information site (Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA)), you can compare prices by hospital in advance!
For example, if you go to a university hospital emergency room with mild symptoms:
Total 200,000 KRW → you need to pay 180,000 KRW.
If you have Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance), it goes down by this much.
If you have health insurance (NHIS) + Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance) together, your out-of-pocket cost becomes much lower.
4th-generation Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance) standard:
NHI-covered service (geupyeo) items: You get back 80% of the NHIS out-of-pocket cost.
Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo) items: You get back 70% (if you enrolled in the bigeupyeo special rider).
Actual comparison table:
🧲 MRI (NHI-covered service (geupyeo)) — 150,000 KRW → about 30,000 KRW with indemnity insurance
🧲 MRI (Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo)) — 700,000 KRW → about 210,000 KRW with indemnity insurance
💆 Manual therapy (non-covered) 1 session — Government Civil Service Call Center,000 KRW → about 30,000 KRW with indemnity insurance
🔪 Appendectomy + hospitalization — 300,000 KRW → about 60,000 KRW with indemnity insurance
🚑 Mild emergency room — 180,000 KRW → about 40,000 KRW with indemnity insurance
Note: For small medical bills (like a cold), it is below the minimum deductible amount (10,000~20,000 KRW), so there is no real benefit to filing a claim for indemnity insurance.
Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance) monthly premium:
People in their 20s: about 5,000~7,700 KRW
People in their 30s: about 7,200~11,500 KRW
People in their 40s: about 9,400~16,100 KRW
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Choosing a medical institution by symptom
For a cold, go to a local Clinic / local doctor's office (1st tier) (30%). If you need tests, go to a hospital/general hospital (40~50%). For serious cases, go to a tertiary general hospital (60%).
Check NHI-covered service (geupyeo) vs Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo)
NHI-covered service (geupyeo) items are covered by insurance, and Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo) are paid fully by yourself. You can tell them apart on the receipt.
Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance) claim
If you have Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance), you can get back 80% of the out-of-pocket cost for NHI-covered service (geupyeo) and 70% for Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo).
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Cold treatment ~10,000 KRW
At a local Clinic / local doctor's office (1st tier), a cold treatment is about 5,000 KRW + medicine cost 3,000~4,500 KRW.
Appendix surgery 100,000~300,000 KRW
A 1,500K KRW surgery for 300K KRW with the DRG bundled payment system. The power of insurance.
Expanded coverage for MRI as an NHI-covered service (geupyeo)
From 2025, NHI-covered service (geupyeo) MRI: 80,000~150,000 KRW. Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo) MRI: 700,000 KRW, a difference of 5~8 times.
Save more with Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance)
If you have 4th-generation Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance), MRI 150,000 KRW → 30,000 KRW, Manual therapy (non-covered) Government Civil Service Call Center,000 KRW → 30,000 KRW.
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For minor cases, you pay 90% of the emergency room cost.
From Sep 2024, if you go to a large emergency room with a mild condition (KTAS 4-5), your out-of-pocket cost is 90%. A night clinic is much cheaper.
Watch out for bill shock from Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo)
Implant 1300000 KRW, Manual therapy (non-covered) Government Civil Service Call Center000 KRW/time, private room for 1 person 150000 KRW/day. Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo) is fully self-paid.
Things not covered by Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance)
Dental implants and orthodontics, LASIK/LASEK, and cosmetic procedures are not covered by Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance).
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Up to the full amount + an uninsured surcharge (up to 50%). Cold: 10,000 KRW → 30,000~50,000 KRW, appendicitis surgery: 300,000 KRW → 2,000,000 KRW or more.
Optional treatment (beauty, premium materials) or items not yet converted to NHI-covered service (geupyeo). The government is expanding the coverage every year.
Yes! If you are an NHIS member, it is free once every 2 years. Check if you are eligible in the The건강보험 (official NHIS app) (official NHIS app) app.
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This guide is for information only, not legal advice. In emergencies, call 119 immediately.