We need to examine the National Health Insurance scheme as it applies to foreigners, (if there is a difference in how it applies to Koreans and foreigners) and we need to know what we are and are not covered for. We may have to look at purchasing additional accident and health insurance for situations like these.

Jason,

There are a lot of differences in how Korean society treats foreigners in comparison to nationals, but access to the National Medical Insurance Program operated by the government is not one of them.

All lawful foreign residents are permitted — indeed, obligated — to subscribe (except for some well-remunerated foreign investors who can opt out if they have a global insurance plan). This means all English teachers on E-2 visas, students at Korean universities, industrial trainees, and so forth. I have heard, but don’t know for certain, that even illegal residents are also permitted to subscribe.

The National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC) has an English-language website, and an English-language helpline at (02) 390-2000. There is also a comprehensive English-language brochure available at the NHIC website which explains most aspects of the program. Because this is Korea, the brochure is well-hidden on the NHIC website and its prose is not as clear as one would like — but it’s a substantial effort to communicate with foreign residents of Korea.

Since the brochure is hidden at the NHIC site, I’ve downloaded it and placed it on my Korea Law Blog — you can click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 2.27Mb) to download it for yourself.

And yes — everyone should also carry a supplemental accident and health insurance policy.

Some of the expensive skin graft surgeries which were necessary for his survival and cost upwards of 15,000 US$ each were NOT covered under the national health insurance scheme.

This is alarming. What if any of us were to fall victim of a fire? We would be in EXACTLY the same financial peril that Bill Kapoun and his family are in right right now! This is even if we HAVE insurance. This is unacceptable.

We need to know that if we were ever in a serious accident like this, that we would at least have the peace of mind of knowing that financial ruin would not accompany it.

We need to examine the National Health Insurance scheme as it applies to foreigners, (if there is a difference in how it applies to Koreans and foreigners) and we need to know what we are and are not covered for. We may have to look at purchasing additional accident and health insurance for situations like these.

Bump. See above comment #110.

Mrs. Linkd and I have purchased 40 smoke detectors. We’re keeping one.

The other 39 we are entrusting to a diligent young woman named Jade. Jade will be at Indigo in Haebangchon tomorrow night - Saturday night - from 6 pm. If you walk up to her and give her some money, she will give you a smoke detector, battery included.

We hope that they all find good homes, and never have to do their jobs. Please drop by and pick one up.

Our prayers are with Bill and his family, and we wish them the best on the difficult journey that lies ahead of them.

Though his girlfriend, Sejin, didn’t suffer as much damage as Bill, she died Wednesday, Judy said.

… well I suppose that answers *that*

“On Wednesday, Judy watched Bill’s girlfriend die (“the girl he intended to marry,” she said) from the same fire, which is now being investigated as arson. Because of Bill’s part-time contract to teach English in South Korea, he lacked health insurance.”

Has anyone else heard anything about that? Any possible motives?

http://www.idsnews.com/news/st.....;comview=1

Is there a Korean/English bilingual reader out there who’s willing to translate the billkapoun.com site into Korean, so that it could be bilingual, and Koreans visitors to the site could know how to help, too? If I could, I would, but I’m a monolingual Canadian.