North Korea Health Insurance

Feeling comfortable in the knowledge that if something was to happen to a family member their medical costs will be taken care of, is important to us all. Our expert consultants can advise on the most suitable level of coverage for families, individuals, groups, travelers, and teachers expatriate health insurance.

Expatriate Health Insurance North Korea

Pacific Prime is an expatriate insurance broker specialising in providing overseas medical insurance for North Korea nationals living, working or holidaying abroad. If you are a non North Korea national and moving to North Korea we can also provide plans that meet your specific requirements.

Professional Service you can trust

Pacific Prime Insurance will be with you for the duration of your policy. We offer additional customer services that include claims advice, emergency contact numbers and medical advice lines. We also maintain a comprehensive list of North Korea hospitals/doctors. Most of our clients are expatriates so we maintain a list of Embassies in North Korea.

As a leading broker of medical insurance in North Korea we keep up on the latest insurance trends and North Korea Insurance News.

We can offer expatriates in North Korea dedicated international health insurance plans that will provide comprehensive coverage in the East and around the world. Plans that we can offer will usually have a number of benefits that a policyholder is able to tailor to suit their specific requirements. With coverage options including out-patient, dental, maternity, and emergency evacuation, you will be assured of receiving the highest levels of quality treatment anywhere in the world.

North Korea Medical Insurance

North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is located in East Asia on the Korean Peninsula. It shares its borders with South Korea, with the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMK) in between acting as a buffer zone, the People’s Republic of China, and Russia. North Korea was established in 1948, after World War II, when the North Korean leaders refused to have an election supervised by the UN. Both South Korea and North Korea claimed the right to rule the peninsula, a dispute, which eventually led to the Korean War in 1950. Since the armistice, which was signed in 1953, North Korea has been closed off to most countries, with the exception of China and Russia. Its closed off foreign policy has made it difficult for outsiders to learn much about the country and has earned the country the nickname, the “Hermit Kingdom”. Most of what is known about North Korea is from North Koreans who have fled the country or from the organized and regulated visits that the North Korean government allows.

Travelers can go to North Korea. However, all visits must be organized through the Korean International Travel Company. Each individual/group must be accompanied by a North Korean guide. Formal visits from state officials also occur, but as with tourists, these visits are also highly regulated and are often subject to disapproval because most believe that what the visitors see is propaganda and does not reflect the true state of North Korea.

During the 1990s, North Korea’s healthcare system was on the verge of collapse. After a series of natural disasters, economics failures, and with the withdrawal of aid after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, North Korea faced a serious food shortage. Known as the “Arduous March”, North Korea suffered from a famine that resulted in the deaths of 300,000 to 800,000 North Koreans every year for the three years of the famine. Most of the deaths were not actually from starvation, but from other famine-related deaths, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and diarrhea. North Korea’s life expectancy was 63.8 years in 2009. This is pretty much equivalent to countries like Pakistan. Its infant mortality, however, is very high at 51.3 deaths per 1,000 births.

The North Korean Constitution guarantees its citizens the right to health care. North Korea claims to provide free healthcare through its national medical service and insurance system. Before North Korea’s major decline in the 1990s, it had 2,401 hospitals and 5,644 clinics. Many of these healthcare centers were connected to factories and mines where many workers were. These centers were known to provide adequate health services to its worker.

However, since the 1990s, the healthcare system has been in a steep and rapid decline. With the lack of money, funding, and food, many hospitals and health clinics lacked basic medical supplies, equipment, running water, electricity, and staff. Many hospitals were no longer in operation. With a wide range of famine-related diseases, most hospitals became overcrowded and unable to treat its patients. During this time, North Korea appealed to countries like Japan for help, but many deals failed or ended due to political conflicts. To this day, North Korea still has a shortage of food, and many North Koreans still show signs of malnourishment. In 2006, Amnesty International found that 7 percent of children were severely malnourished, while 37 percent were chronically malnourished. Another 23.4 percent were found to be underweight; one in three mothers were malnourished. Many were even found to be anemic, which is a sign of long-term malnourishment.

The reports on the healthcare system in North Korea from different organizations are often conflicting. While the North Korean government claims to provide free healthcare to all its citizens, others have claimed that the North Korean healthcare system is an elitist system, with only the wealthy or military personnel able to afford services. Others have also claimed that physicians and other medical staff will require payment in food, cigarettes, or alcohol for medical services. Official reports from the Word Health Organization (WHO) were released in April 2010 after the director-general of WHO, Margaret Chan, made a visit to North Korea. She was raving about the high quality of care, the number of doctors and nurses, and called the overall system an “envy of the developed world”. However, other organizations and individuals have criticized these reports. Some have said that WHO was forced to make these claims for fear of being denied future access to do work there. The Amnesty International reported from the interviews that they’ve conducted with North Koreans who have fled the country and foreign health workers that the healthcare system is underfunded with facilities falling apart, a lack of running water, electricity, and medical supplies. There have even been reports of surgeries taking place without anesthesia.

Many North Koreans who cannot afford treatment may rely on traditional medicine such as the use of herbal remedies and acupuncture. To this day, food shortages and infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, and hepatitis B, are still major problems in the country. On the bright side, it is reported that almost 100 percent of the population have access to water and sanitation services. However, with the lack of information, it is difficult to determine the truth of these reports.

Travelers and expatriates to North Korea should purchase an international health insurance policy before arriving in North Korea. It is uncertain whether the local health facilities are able to provide the treatment necessary. It seems highly likely that even if there are available facilities, they may not be of the same standard as North America and Western Europe. Furthermore, it is highly recommended that travelers take out a policy that covers emergency evacuation and transportation costs. In the event that you are seriously injured, transportation costs can be as much as $100,000 USD.

Travelers visiting the country should get vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies, tetanus-diphtheria, mumps, measles, and rubella. In addition, malaria is prevalent throughout the southern parts of North Korea, so visitors need to carry anti-malarial medicine, sleep in bed nets, and use insect repellant. Always bring adequate supplies of personal prescription medicine and a doctor’s note for these prescriptions. It is also recommended that travelers bring diarrhea medicine, as diarrhea is a common ailment of travelers.

Travelers are also recommended to bring vitamins and dietary supplements as it may difficult to get proper nutrition with the ongoing food shortage in many parts of North Korea.

Pacific Prime can assist you with any international, travel, or health insurance needs should you decide to travel to North Korea. We offer professional advice at no cost to you. No matter what your budget is or what your requirements are, our professional consultants can help find a policy that fits you or your group. Our policies can cover a wide range of services including dental, maternity, specialist consultation, transportation, inpatient services, and many more. Please contact us today for a free consultation.