National Health Insurance Service to Run Concentrated Refund Payment Period for Health Insurance Premiums Through the 30th of This Month

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) will run a concentrated payment period for health insurance premium refunds through the 30th of this month. It targets cases where refunds have arisen due to duplicate premium payments or recalculation following changes in eligibility or income, but have not yet been returned.

The corporation announced on the 6th of last month that it would push to pay out unclaimed health insurance premium refunds over the two months from October 1 to November 30. When a refund is generated, eligible individuals are notified via mail, the NHIS website, the mobile app, and the National Secretary service.

How to Check and Apply for Refunds

Health insurance refunds can be checked and applied for through the NHIS website or mobile app. They can also be confirmed and claimed through the customer center or a nearby NHIS branch office.

If you have registered in advance for 'health insurance premium refund advance account agreement,' future refunds will be deposited into the registered account automatically without a separate application. Advance account registration is available at NHIS branches or the customer center.

Types of Refunds: Premium Refunds vs. Copayment Refunds vs. Out-of-Pocket Ceiling Excess Payments

Health insurance-related refunds are categorized by the reason they arise. Premium refunds, the target of this concentrated payment period, result from duplicate or erroneous premium payments, or recalculation due to changes in eligibility or income.

In contrast, 'copayment refunds' are a system in which hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies return copayments collected in excess of legal standards. The NHIS deducts or collects the amount from the medical fees payable to healthcare institutions and pays it to the patient who received treatment or the subscriber.

'Out-of-pocket ceiling excess payments' are also a separate system. If the copayments a person pays for health insurance over a year exceed the individual ceiling, the NHIS covers the excess amount. However, non-covered services, selective benefits, full out-of-pocket payments, and implants are excluded from ceiling calculations. Therefore, not all amounts spent at hospitals or pharmacies are included in refund calculations.

Unpaid out-of-pocket ceiling excess amounts can be checked and applied for via the NHIS website or mobile app. Online applications are made to one's own account; to receive the payment in another person's account, a separate application must be filed at an NHIS branch.

Beware of Phishing Texts and Emails

The NHIS stated that notification texts or emails about health insurance premium refunds do not include internet addresses. It urged caution regarding texts or emails from unclear or suspicious senders.

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