The same treatment costs five to ten times more without insurance. The table below is that difference. Foreigners staying six months or longer must enrol in National Health Insurance (NHIS), so the real question is not whether you enrol but when your cover starts.
What each visit actually costs
| Treatment | With insurance | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Cold, internal medicine | about 7,000 won | 20,000-30,000 won |
| Emergency room, minor | 30,000-50,000 won | 200,000-500,000 won |
| Fracture, incl. admission | 300,000-800,000 won | 1.5-4 million won |
| MRI scan | 100,000-200,000 won | 500,000-800,000 won |
| Appendectomy | 500,000-1,000,000 won | 3-5 million won |
The gap in cover is the dangerous part
If you are employed, your company handles enrolment; otherwise you register at a local NHIS branch. The risk is the stretch where you are not covered — just after arriving, or between jobs. One emergency room visit in that window is 200,000 to 500,000 won, all of it yours.
Where NHIS stops
NHIS covers about 70% of hospitalisation and a large share of outpatient costs. What remains is your co-payment and non-covered items — some MRI scans, dental work, premium materials. Private indemnity insurance fills that gap. Which one is more urgent depends on your stay length and visa type.
Check now
- Whether your NHIS cover is currently active — 1577-1000 or the NHIS app
- Whether you have a gap, counting from your entry or last working day
- Whether a large non-covered procedure is coming up; if so, when you buy private cover matters
How each figure is calculated and how to enrol is set out in the full guide on the WeBring blog.