Living in Korea and insurance
What should you keep after a hospital visit for an insurance claim?
If you may make an insurance claim after a hospital visit, first keep the medical provider’s itemised bill or official receipt. A card receipt alone may not show enough about the treatment, so the official medical-expense receipt is important.
Depending on the treatment, you may also need:
- a detailed statement of medical charges;
- the prescription;
- a pharmacy receipt;
- a medical certificate or treatment confirmation;
- a hospital admission and discharge confirmation;
- confirmation of surgery; or
- a document showing the diagnosis or disease-classification code.
You do not need to obtain every document in every case. Medical certificates can cost money, so it is often better to ask the insurer what is required first. If you are about to leave Korea or the provider will be difficult to revisit, obtaining the necessary documents in advance may nevertheless be useful.
Connected medical providers can transmit some documents through 실손24. Not every provider is connected, and the insurer may require more information during its review. Do not discard every paper document immediately just because you used electronic submission; keep what may be needed until the claim decision is complete.
Practical record-keeping tips
- Check the name, treatment date and amount on every document.
- Take a clear photograph or keep a scan in a secure location.
- Record the submission date and claim reference number.
- Check whether an original must be submitted.
- Keep related records organised until the claim decision is complete.
- Medical documents contain sensitive information; do not upload them to a public cloud location or general inquiry form.