A South Korean Perspective on Health Care Reform

By Jinny Lee

 Named a ‘non-resident alien’ upon entry, I am neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by the current health care reform process. Nevertheless, just-over-a-year living experience in the U.S, I have come to find that South Korea’s system outranks the US system in quality and affordability.

Getting medical attention here is quite difficult. First, I had to figure out which clinic I should go to from my provider’s website. Then, I tried to make an appointment.  Nothing was available for a week, so I waited. In the end, it was a simple check-up, lasting about 10 minutes. The cost: $100. I could not believe my eyes. The worth of two weeks’ groceries and social money spent on a 10-minute check-up. The administrator said I should pay immediately and get the reimbursement from my provider, which seemed to be a complicated procedure. “What if they decline the reimbursement?” I asked. “You have to figure it out,” she answered indifferently.

At that moment, I made up my mind that I would never be sick while I was residing in the U.S. I pledged myself to eat healthy food and take vitamins in order not to get sick in this foreign soil because I deserve to have better health treatment.

South Korea provides universal health care coverage. Every South Korean, by law, mandatorily buys health insurance through either an employer or their local government. Based on your income, a monthly insurance fee is paid, which varies from 20 to 200 dollars. When you are sick, you can just go to whichever hospital or clinic you choose, and pay about 30% of the actual cost. Typically, people just walk in to clinics, wait less then 30 minutes, and pay about 3 dollars for general consultation or check-up. I personally had never paid more than 10 dollars for any visits, except dental clinics. If going to a general hospital, a wait period of 2 weeks is common. Of course there are some people who are unable to afford to pay the monthly insurance fee, but even if you are under deficit, you can still get treatment. No one is denied insurance because of previous illness or goes bankrupt due to a surgical treatment.

When I first heard stories about Americans suffering from the private insurance system, I could not believe that the U.S has such a backward system. America, the epicenter of human rights and democracy cannot provide basic human needs to its own people?

I don’t understand the opponents of the current health care reform bill. They argue that the government-run insurance option will create a big government and it will add more deficits to the current account. The also complain that it will impair competitiveness of a private insurance market and increase taxes on American households. Why do the Americans genuinely shun the increasing role of government in such an important sector like health care?

America! You will not become a socialistic country just because everyone gets health insurance quality healthcare. As President Obama put it in his speech at the joint congressional session in early September, we shall “not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now.”

Having said that, I am really glad to see that the Senate Finance Committee passed the reform bill with a 14 to 9 vote on October 13^th. This seems to be a big achievement. In fact, it is not an audacious dream. I fully support Mr. Obama on this and believe in his strength to realize this long-term dream.

Conversely, South Korea’s government recently tried to reform its lovely health care system.  It has adopted the U.S system, whereby government can allow more private insurance companies to enter the market, competing with the government option so that consumers have choices in various health care plans. The goal is to minimize the deficit in government health care system. This means that the rich will definitely go with a private insurance option, paying much more and getting much better treatment. The poor will remain stuck with a government health care plan, which is good at this point.

But I would like to point out that all men are equal and this should apply to the health care sector as well. The rich pay more on health care bills so that the poor can get equal treatment, then how wonderful it is! To President Lee of South Korea: Please don’t benchmark the American system. We are better off with our own.    

Jinny Lee is a 2^nd year M.A. candidate in International Policy.