Gyeonggi Province supports medical surgery expenses for foreign workers and multicultural families

What springs to mind when you come across the term “welfare system”? In fact, it so thoroughly permeates our daily lives that we often overl...

What springs to mind when you come across the term “welfare system”?

In fact, it so thoroughly permeates our daily lives that we often overlook the benefits we are receiving.

There are many welfare services, but the most evident one is medical insurance. We face explicitly written copayments every time after seeing a doctor.

Medical care is truly indispensable for realizing our right to live healthy lives and for fostering an environment that enables us to freely visit hospitals.

Surprisingly, the benefits Koreans naturally enjoy are often not shared with foreign workers or multicultural families.

In this regard, Gyeonggi Province has decided to support marriage immigrants and their children, as well as foreign workers and their spouses and children.

Gyeonggi Province

“What is medical expense funding?”

The province will support hospitalization and surgical costs.

There are cases in which one must be examined in a separate appointment before undergoing surgery, and others where one must frequently visit a doctor for follow-up consultations after major surgery. All of these situations place financial burdens on the excluded few. 

Gyeonggi Province announced that it will provide comprehensive support by allowing new beneficiaries to receive medical service fee coverage three times before and three times after surgery. Recipients may apply for funding prior to or after completion of medical procedures.

“What is the funding limit?”

Out of the total expenses of all medical procedures – from hospitalization to final discharge – 90% is funded. The remaining 10% is still be paid by the patient, but the financial and mental costs will have been greatly reduced.

The limit, however, is a maximum of KRW 5 million at a time.

The aforementioned funding is for surgery and medical treatment, and the funding percentage for outpatient treatment is the same: 90% of outpatient expenses are funded.

Gyeonggi Province

“To Apply”

Beneficiaries must visit one of the 18 affiliated hospitals in Gyeonggi Province.

Any foreign resident of Gyeonggi Province must check beforehand if a given hospital is listed among these 18 affiliated hospitals. One can seek advice in person or by phone.

The list of 18 hospitals is as follows:

Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Suwon Hospital +82 31-888-0372
Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Uijeongbu Hospital +82 31-828-5118
Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Paju Hospital +82 31-940-9219
Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Icheon Hospital +82 31-630-4464
Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Ansung Hospital +82 31-8046-5194
Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Pocheon Hospital +82 31-539-9291
Seongnam Citizens Medical Center +82 31-738-7090
Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service Ansan Hospital +82 31-500-1771
Handoh Hospital (Ansan) +82 31-8040-1531
Danwon Hospital (Ansan) +82 31-8040-5539
Gsam Hospital (Gunpo) +82 31-389-3167
New Korea Hospital (Gimpo) +82 31-980-9148
Gimpo Woori Hospital +82 31-999-1925
Wiltse Memorial Hospital (Anyang) +82 31-240-6040
Sejong Hospital (Bucheon) +82 32-340-1842
Namyangju Hyundae Hospital +82 31-574-9119
Anyang Sam Hospital +82 31-467-9258
Shihwa Hospital (Siheung) +82 31-5189-0089

What would be more concerning than being unable to go to a hospital because of the medical costs?

It would be ideal if one never needed a hospital, but things never go as planned and we cannot even assure what is going to happen tomorrow. We never know when and where accidents might happen, and diseases lurk around every corner.

Now foreign workers and multicultural families living in Gyeonggi Province can make untroubled

visits to hospitals.

Gyeonggi Province’s endeavors to ensure that people of diverse nationalities can live happily side by side start with medical welfare.