How to Go to a Hospital in Korea and Get an Interpreter

Which hospital should you go to?

Hospitals in Korea are divided by size. For the same illness, you pay more yourself at a bigger hospital.

Type	What it is	Your share for outpatient visits
의원	Small local clinic, sign says "의원" or "clinic"	About 30%
병원	Medium-size hospital with rooms for patients to stay	About 40%
종합병원	Large hospital with many departments	About 50%
상급종합병원	The largest hospitals, such as university hospitals	About 60%

For a cold, stomach problems, small injuries, or skin problems, go to a 의원. If the 의원 says you need a bigger hospital, get a 진료의뢰서 (referral letter) and take it with you. If you go to a 상급종합병원 without a 진료의뢰서, health insurance may not cover you.

Steps

1. Check in: Give your 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card) at the 원무과 (hospital administration office) or the reception desk. If it is your first visit, write your name, date of birth, address, and phone number.
2. Wait: They will call your name, or your number will appear on a screen.
3. See the doctor: Say where it hurts, since when, and if you take any medicine. If you were hurt because of your work, you must say so.
4. Tests: If needed, you will have tests such as a blood test or an X-ray. If you are worried about the cost, ask first.
5. Pay: After you see the doctor, pay at the desk. Both card and cash are accepted.
6. Prescription: You get a paper 처방전 (prescription). Usually they give you 2 copies.
7. Pharmacy: Give the prescription at a pharmacy near the hospital and get your medicine. Health insurance also covers the cost of medicine.
8. Keep your receipts: Do not throw away your medical bill receipts and prescriptions. Keep them together.

Nights, holidays, and emergencies

• At night and on Sundays, most 의원 are closed. Use the emergency room of a 종합병원 or a pharmacy that is open at night.
• The emergency room is expensive because extra charges are added at night and on holidays. If the doctor decides it is not an emergency, you may have to pay the full emergency care management fee yourself. The amount depends on the level of the hospital.
• If someone is unconscious, is bleeding a lot, cannot breathe, or is badly hurt, call 119 right away. Transport by a 119 ambulance is free.
• When you call 119, first say "where you are." If you do not know the address, say the names of buildings or shops you can see, or the number on an electric pole. If Korean is difficult for you, you may speak in your own language. 119 will connect a 3-way call with a foreign language interpreter.
• If you have no money to pay for emergency treatment, there is the 응급의료비 대지급제도 (emergency medical cost advance payment system). If you apply at the hospital's 원무과, the government pays first, and you pay it back later. For questions, call 건강보험심사평가원 (Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service) at 1644-2000.

How to get an interpreter

• 1345 외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center): Gives counseling and 3-way phone interpreting in many languages. Hours are 09:00~22:00. After 18:00, only Korean, Chinese, and English are available.
• 1577-1366 다누리콜센터 (Danuri Call Center): Open 24 hours, 365 days. Supports 13 languages including Korean, and Nepali is one of them. 3-way phone interpreting is available.
• Some large hospitals have a separate desk for foreign patients. Call the hospital and ask, "Do you have support for foreign patients?" (외국인 진료 지원이 있나요?). It is different at each hospital, so check before you go. (Official confirmation needed)
• Some local groups can connect you with volunteer interpreters. Ask at your nearest 고용센터 (Employment Center) or call 1345.

If you have no health insurance

• There is the 외국인근로자 등 의료지원 사업 (Medical Support Program for Foreign Workers and Others). It pays treatment costs when foreign workers and others who cannot get coverage from health insurance, medical aid, or industrial accident insurance need to stay in the hospital or have surgery. As a rule, it does not cover outpatient visits.
• You apply at places such as 국립중앙의료원 (National Medical Center), local public medical centers, and Red Cross hospitals. Go to the hospital's 원무과 and submit an application form. For questions, call 국립중앙의료원 at 02-2260-7472.
• The amount and conditions of support change every year, so check with the hospital first.
• At your local 보건소 (public health center), you can get tests such as a tuberculosis test and vaccinations at a low cost or for free.

Keep your documents

You need these to apply for 산재, to claim insurance, and to submit to your company. Getting them again later costs money and time.

• 진단서 (medical certificate): A document that shows the name of the illness and the treatment period. There is a fee to get it.
• 소견서 (doctor's opinion letter): A document with the doctor's opinion. To apply for 산재, you need a 요양급여신청소견서 (doctor's opinion for an industrial accident treatment claim).
• Medical bill receipts and itemized bill (세부내역서)
• 입퇴원 확인서 (hospital admission and discharge certificate): Use it to show your company why you were absent from work.

Frequently asked questions

Q. I did not bring my health insurance card. A. Your 외국인등록증 is enough. If you have no ID at all, you pay the full amount, and you can get money back later when you submit documents.

Q. Do I need an appointment? A. At most 의원, you can just walk in. At a 종합병원, you often need an appointment.

Q. The medical bill is too expensive. A. Try going to a 의원 instead of a big hospital. If you do not have health insurance, first check whether you are eligible.

Q. My company does not let me go to the hospital. A. Getting treatment when you are sick is a worker's right. You can get counseling at 1350 or 1345.

Where to get help

• Emergency: 119
• 외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center): 1345
• 다누리콜센터 (Danuri Call Center): 1577-1366 (24 hours, 13 languages)
• 국민건강보험공단 (National Health Insurance Service): 1577-1000
• 건강보험심사평가원 (emergency medical cost advance payment): 1644-2000
• 국립중앙의료원 (Medical Support Program for Foreign Workers and Others): 02-2260-7472