Man those extra three weeks seem to have disappeared quickly. I was shocked to realize yesterday that I will be leaving Korea in 38 days and I have yet to actually put anything into a box. Guess I should start making time to do some of that, huh? Oh well, back to the countdown.
#6. Socialized medicine
Before I came to Korea, I was a recently graduated 22 year old without health insurance. Obama Care had not passed either house of Congress, so when I graduated university, all of the medical insurance I had been receiving from my parents was taken away. It was six months from then that I would make it to Korea, and while I was lucky that it was such a short time and that I had no major illnesses, if I had gotten sick or needed to see a doctor of any kind, I would have been (pardon my French) screwed.
Then I came to Korea--a wonderful magical land where everyone with an alien registration card gets cheap healthcare from the government. Of course, when I first got here and while my paperwork for my alien registration was still pending, I had the misfortune of coming down with bronchitis and was left unable to speak. Needless to say I was concerned, knowing that I had to go to a doctor but also knowing that I had no insurance and very little cash on me. When I got to the doctor's office, I was seen almost immediately by an English speaking and American-trained doctor who listened to my symptoms and came to the same conclusion I had--bronchitis. He checked me over, then scribbled something on a piece of paper, and instructed me to take it to the nurse on the far end of the office, who also spoke English. She informed me that the visit would cost me 6,000 won for the consultation, and the medicine I needed was another 5,000 won. "But," I protested, "I don't have insurance." The nurse nodded sympathetically at me. "I know," she said, "I'm sorry its so expensive."
Let's retell that story if I had been in America. I would have gone to the doctor, waited an hour for someone to be able to see me, take two seconds looking down my throat to confirm the diagnosis I was already pretty sure I had, charged me $75 for my trouble, and then I would have had to go to a pharmacy, where they would have taken another $50 for the medicine I needed. $11 versus $125. Let's see here....
Another example: I am currently taking medication that I had previously used in the states. One month worth of pills would run me $30, and that was while I was still covered on my parent's health insurance plan. Here, I can get an almost identical version of the medicine and it costs me 8500 won ($8), and this is one of those medicines that is not covered by insurance. It really is a relief that I can
Of course the system here isn't perfect. Some kinds of medicine are extremely Westernized, so its comfortable for foreigners to go to the doctor and feel sure about the treatment they are receiving. However others, and especially women's health, are still very Asian oriented, which can make us feel a little uncomfortable. Doctors here do not answer questions, and they do not like explaining their diagnosis to the patient. However, considering how often I've been sick (a few times) and the comfort I get in knowing that I'm not going to have to give up eating in order to get the care I need, I think I'm getting my money's worth for my health plan. And while I am grateful that (thanks to Obama Care) I am once again covered on my parent's insurance, I'm going to miss those $3 doctor's visits.
2 comments:
Did I miss something? Why are you covered by your parents insurance thanks to Obama Care?
Under the new healthcare laws, kids can be covered under their parent's insurance until they turn 26, regardless of whether they are declared as dependents. Thanks to this, both my sister and I have healthcare again.
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