How Much Does a Doctor’s Visit Cost in Korea? (A Local’s Guide to Prescription Meds)
Welcome to ‘A Local’s Korea and Seoul’!
If you’ve ever wondered what the actual healthcare experience is like for a local living in South Korea, you’re in the right place. Today, I’ll share my step-by-step experience of visiting a local clinic to get a prescription for my hypertension (high blood pressure) and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) medication.
The Accessibility of Healthcare in Korea
I stepped out of my house around 10:00 AM. It’s currently winter in Korea, so the air is quite chilly!
My destination was a neighborhood internal medicine clinic (Naekwa), which is just a 5-minute walk away. In major Korean cities like Seoul, clinics are incredibly dense. In fact, within a 5-minute radius of my home, there are at least five different internal medicine clinics.
You’ll often find clusters of medical practices near major intersections or busy streets. This "web" of neighborhood clinics makes it incredibly convenient to get medical care whenever you need it. You can literally take your pick!
The Registration Process
I arrived at the clinic at 10:20 AM and checked in at the front desk.
First-time visitors: You’ll need to provide your name, phone number, and address.
Essential: Always bring a valid ID (like a Residence Card or Passport).
Since I was there for blood pressure management, I used the automatic blood pressure monitor in the waiting area. It’s simple to use: just sit with the correct posture, place your arm through the cuff so your elbow rests on the base, and press 'Start.'
Pro Tip: Your blood pressure might be higher right after walking into the clinic. It’s often recommended to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before taking a measurement.
My first reading was 138/87 (pulse 68). After resting for five minutes, the second reading was 135/81 (pulse 72).
Consultation and Costs
After a short wait, my name was called. The doctor manually checked my blood pressure again and reviewed my results. Since my levels were stable around 130, he decided to maintain my current dosage and issued a 60-day (2-month) prescription.
Here is the breakdown of the costs for a National Health Insurance (NHI) subscriber:
| Step | Cost (KRW) | Cost (USD) |
| Clinic Consultation Fee | ₩4,700 | ~$3.48 |
| Pharmacy (2-Month Supply) | ₩33,000 | ~$24.44 |
| Total | ₩37,700 | ~$27.92 |
⚠️ Important: What if you don't have Korean Health Insurance?
The prices above are subsidized by the government. If you are a visitor or do not have National Health Insurance, the costs will be higher:
At the Pharmacy: Without insurance coverage, an additional ₩77,730 (~$57.58) would be added to the medication cost, bringing the pharmacy total to ₩111,030 (~$82.24).
At the Clinic: In Korea, the patient's co-payment at a small neighborhood clinic is typically 30% of the total cost. Therefore, if you are uninsured, you can expect the consultation fee to be roughly three times higher than the insured rate.
Getting Your Medication
In Korea, pharmacies are almost always located right next to or in the same building as the clinic. I handed over my prescription and received my 2-month supply of medication.
A quick tip on prescriptions: Usually, you receive a copy for the pharmacy. Some clinics provide an extra copy for the patient to keep. If they only give you one, I recommend taking a photo of it with your phone or asking the desk for a "patient's copy" (Hwan-ja-bo-gwan-yong) for your records.
Final Thoughts
I finished everything—the consultation and the pharmacy run—by 10:38 AM. The entire process took only 18 minutes.
For locals, the efficiency and affordability of neighborhood clinics are part of daily life. I hope this guide gives you a clear picture of what to expect if you ever need to visit a clinic in Korea!
Comments
Post a Comment