The number of foreigners and expatriates living in Korea who receive medical treatments with insurance coverage has increased 49.2 percent over the past five years.

The average increase rate was 10.6 percent, and insurance premiums they paid rose 14.2 percent a year on average. However, foreigners’ monthly medical bill was about 30,000 won ($26) less than Koreans’.

According to the report of “100 people-related statistics in 2017” released by National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)_{국민건강보험공단}, the number of foreigners who visited hospitals was 870,056 last year, up 49.2 percent from 582,671 in 2012. Among them, foreign visitors increased 10.9 percent annually from 552,943 to 836,487, while expats in Korea rose 4.8 percent from 29,728 to 33,569.

The insurance premiums they paid last year totaled 426.3 billion won, up 69.9 percent from 250.9 billion won in 2012. The annual average premium payment increased 14.2 percent.

The average monthly medical cost per foreign patient stood at 70,337 won last year, lower than the 107,011 won Koreans paid. But the annual average growth rate of the medical expenses foreigners paid was 8.1 percent, higher than 7.1 percent for Koreans.

By category, the monthly average medical cost by a local subscriber was 114,836 won last year, slightly higher than 104,006 won paid by workplace subscriber. In the case of foreigners, however, locally insured subscriber paid 110,300 won on average, more than double that of 54,707 won paid by an employed subscriber.

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