Health guides in Korea
EP23 Complete comparison of health insurance by visa
What is different between Skilled Worker and Non-professional Worker? If you have Marriage, is the insurance fee 0 KRW? Compare 15 visas at a glance. Final part of the series.
EP22 Chronic disease care for foreigners: benefits for patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer
If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, you only need to pay 20% of your hospital bill. If it is cancer, only 5%. I organized the benefits that foreigners can also get.
EP21 2025-26 Health Insurance Changes
From a freeze to an increase in the insurance premium rate, easier suspension rules for overdue NHI-covered service (geupyeo), and the launch of 5th-generation Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance) — I only collected the changes that affect foreigners.
EP20 Get medical records, civil complaint, objection filing
I need an English medical certificate. My insurance premium seems strange. My hospital bill was too expensive. — I organized solutions by situation that foreigners often face.
EP19 Complete guide to the The건강보험 (official NHIS app) (official NHIS app) app
You can do everything in one app — pay insurance premiums, check refund amounts, and view health checkup results. I also organized the setup method for foreigners.
EP18 Get a free health checkup
If you are enrolled in NHIS, you can get a free health checkup once every 2 years. Foreigners too! I organized where and how to get it.
EP17 Family insurance registration: organize spouse, children, and parents all at once
If you register your spouse as a Dependent under NHI (pibuyangja), is the extra insurance premium 0 KRW? Are children automatically registered when they are born? I organized everything about family insurance.
EP16 If your visa expires, does your insurance end too?
What happens to health insurance when your visa expires? I also organized how to prevent a gap in insurance when you change your visa, change jobs, or leave the country.
EP15 International insurance vs Korean insurance: Which one should I get?
International insurance like Cigna or Allianz? Or Korea’s National Health Insurance (NHIS)? Do you need both? Here are answers to the questions foreigners ask most often.
EP14 Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance): Can foreigners also enroll?
78% of Koreans have Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance). If it is 10,000~20,000 KRW per month, your worry about hospital bills gets smaller. Can foreigners join too?
EP13 How to survive at the pharmacy
I got a Prescription (cheobangjeon) at the hospital, but what do I need to do at the pharmacy? What medicines can I buy without a Prescription (cheobangjeon)? Will the pharmacist understand English? Pharmacies in Korea are easier than you think.
EP12 From pregnancy to childbirth: an insurance guide for foreign moms
You're pregnant. Congratulations! But... if you give birth in Korea, how much does insurance cover? What about test costs? What about delivery costs? Are infertility treatments covered by insurance too? I organized everything foreign moms really need to know.
EP11 Dentist, Korean traditional medicine (hanbang), psychiatry: 3 types of care that foreigners often find confusing
Why is scaling at the dentist covered by insurance, but implants are not? Is treatment at a Korean medicine clinic (hanuiwon) covered by insurance? I heard psychiatry is expensive... is that true? I’ll explain the 3 types of treatment that foreigners get confused about the most, all at once.
EP10 Does an interpreter go to the hospital with you?
The doctor was talking in the exam room, but I could not understand anything. That was when I realized it. Next time, I need to bring an interpreter. But did you know there is a free interpretation service that goes to the hospital with you?
EP09 Everything foreigners need to know when going to the emergency room
You suddenly feel sick in the middle of the night. You need to call Emergency number, but you cannot speak Korean. You also do not have an insurance card. How much will it cost? Do not panic. If you know this in advance, it will be okay.
EP08 Clinic / local doctor's office (1st tier) → Hospital → Tertiary general hospital: Complete guide to the Korean medical system
I had a cold, but I went to a university hospital and paid 60%. If I had gone to a nearby Clinic / local doctor's office (1st tier), it would have been 30%. I’ll explain Korea’s medical system at once so you can see where to go to pay less.
EP07 How much are hospital bills in Korea, really?
They say your copay is 30%, so how much money actually comes out of your wallet? We’ll tell you the real amount, including NHI-covered service (geupyeo), Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo), and Medical expense reimbursement insurance (silson insurance).
EP06 NHI-covered service (geupyeo)? Non-covered service under NHI (bigeupyeo)? How to read a receipt
If you don’t understand even one line of the receipt you got at the hospital, save this article!
EP05 Health insurance premiums, how on earth are they calculated?
If you know how that money you pay every month is decided, you can reduce it!
EP04 What happens to insurance when you change jobs?
I thought the insurance would stop the day after I quit my job... Don’t worry!
EP03 Did your company not enroll you in insurance?
They took insurance premiums out of your salary, but you have no insurance? Your boss is doing something illegal.
EP02 Health insurance enrollment, what happens to me?
6 months after arriving in Korea... if a health insurance bill suddenly arrives, don’t panic!
EP01 You can get this year’s hospital bills refunded.
If the medical expenses you paid in 1 year go over a certain amount, you get back the extra amount. Foreigners too!