Nat'l health insurance fiscal balance for foreigners tops 1 tln won in surplus last year

For the first time in recent years, the fiscal balance of Korea's national health insurance system for foreigners reached a surplus of over 1 trillion won, amounting to $753 million, in the previous year. This surplus marked a significant shift from previous deficits. Data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) revealed that the insurance premiums paid by foreign nationals totaled 2.54 trillion won, while the medical expenses covered by the NHIS amounted to 1.52 trillion won.

This surplus surplus, totaling 1,012.8 trillion won, surpassed the previous year's figure of 943.9 billion won. It also marked the first time a surplus exceeding 1 trillion won had been achieved for foreigners since 2017, representing a consecutive surplus streak. However, the fiscal balance for Chinese nationals took a turn for the worse, with a deficit of 40.9 billion won last year.

In 2025, insurance premiums collected from Chinese nationals amounted to 956.4 billion won, while the NHIS was obligated to cover medical expenses totaling an unspecified amount.