임재삼1, 선화연2, 유병욱3

1 순천향대학교 대학원 의과학과, 2순천향대학교 대학원 의생명과학과, 3순천향대학교 서울병원 가정의학과

Background: This study aimed to examine international
students’ perceptions, characteristics, use of public
medical services, and satisfaction with the National Health
Insurance System, and compared the results with
the Health Insurance System Perception Survey conducted
on Korean population to understand the differ-
ences between the two groups’ perceptions of the health
insurance system and their use of medical services.
Methods: A survey was conducted from May 23, 2022 to
June 21, 2022 to measure various data of international
students related to the National Health Insurance System and
analyzed the results.
Results: Most international students were in their 20s (the
average age was 23±2.06 years), which showed that
they were less likely to use medical services compared to
Korean population in their 20s. Both Korean pop-
ulation and international students viewed their subjective
health as generally good. Regarding the perceptions
of the National Health Insurance System, 75.6% of the Korean
population responded positively, while only 16%
of international students responded positively. The biggest
reason for the negative responses was the higher
contributions compared to private health insurance, showing
that financial hardship played a large role in the
negative perceptions. The insurance contribution calculation
methods by the Government showed differences.
International students receive the same insurance
contributions regardless of their nationality, age, income, or
assets.
Conclusions: Through this study, it has been confirmed that
further research and examination are needed re-
garding the application of Korean health insurance to foreign
residents and the appropriate calculation of in-
surance contributions.
Korean J Health Promot 2023;23(3):156-168
Keywords: National Health Insurance, Public medical
services, Medical expenses, Healthcare system