SEOUL — Starting Wednesday, foreigners and overseas Koreans must reside in South Korea for a minimum of six months to qualify for state health insurance coverage as dependents, the health ministry announced on Tuesday. This decision aims to address concerns over the exploitation of the national health insurance system.
According to Yonhap News Agency, there have been instances where foreign nationals employed in South Korea have registered relatives as dependents to facilitate their temporary visits for medical treatments.
Under the previous guidelines, foreigners could include family members as dependents in the employee public health insurance program based on specific income and asset criteria. The revised rule, however, is designed to enhance the fairness of the health insurance program, particularly for independent foreign subscribers who are already required to have a six-month residency to be eligible. The new policy exempts spouses and children under 19 years old. It also specifies that holders of D-2, D-4-3, E-9, and F-6 visas, as well as those with permanent residency, are eligible for dependent status without the six-month wait. As of 2022, 1.32 million foreigners were enrolled in South Korea's public health insurance, with Chinese nationals making up 52 percent of this group.