If you have paid health insurance premiums twice, or if your premiums have been adjusted due to changes in eligibility or income, it is worth checking whether you have money to claim. The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) will run a 'concentrated refund payment period' from October 1 to November 30, 2026, to pay out unclaimed health insurance premium refunds.

▶ What health insurance premium refunds are A premium refund is money among the paid amounts that must be returned to the subscriber. It arises when premiums are paid twice or paid in error, and it can also occur as a result of premium recalculation reflecting changes in enrollment eligibility or income. It is a different concept from subsidies paid uniformly to all subscribers.

▶ How to check and apply for refunds Eligibility for a refund and the amount can be checked on the NHIS website or mobile app. If an unclaimed amount is confirmed, you can proceed with the payment application. If online access is difficult, you can check and apply through the NHIS call center or a nearby branch office.

The NHIS notifies eligible individuals of refunds via mail, the website and mobile app, and the National Secretary service. However, if there are amounts to be offset first, such as delinquent premiums, the remaining amount is paid after settlement. This is why the refund generated and the amount actually received may differ.

▶ How to receive refunds without a separate application Future refunds can be received without a separate application if prior consent is given. By applying for 'health insurance premium refund advance account consent' through an NHIS branch or the call center, any refund that arises later can be paid into the registered account.

▶ Rights remain after November 30 November 30 is merely the last day of this concentrated payment period, not the day when the right to apply for all premium refunds expires at once. Gov.24 states that the statute of limitations for health and long-term care insurance premium refunds is three years. For older refunds, it is advisable to check with the NHIS about the individual claim deadline.

▶ Different from hospital fee refund schemes Premium refunds must also be distinguished from hospital fee-related refund schemes. The 'copayment refund,' in which medical institutions return copayments collected in excess of statutory standards, and the 'copayment ceiling excess refund,' applied when annual health insurance copayments exceed an individual's ceiling, are separate schemes with different causes of occurrence.

▶ Beware of personal data theft disguised as refund notices Caution is also needed against personal data theft disguised as refund notifications. The NHIS stated that it does not include internet links in text messages or emails notifying subscribers of health insurance premium refunds. If you receive a suspicious message, it is safer to access the official NHIS website directly to check rather than clicking on links.

[This article was written with some assistance from AI. The information provided is for reference only, and this publication bears no legal or financial responsibility for the use of such information.]