Nursing College Interns Also Eligible for Health Insurance Coverage of PCR Tests

On the 17th, as the spread of COVID-19 continued, citizens are undergoing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Station. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] As the government limits the scope of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing due to the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the burden on nursing college interns who had to bear PCR costs amounting to tens of thousands of won for essential clinical practice to obtain nursing qualifications is expected to be eased.

The Korean Nurses Association and the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 22nd that health insurance will be temporarily applied to PCR tests conducted for screening purposes for nursing college interns who stay at medical institutions for a certain period.

Nursing students must complete more than 1,000 hours of clinical practice before graduation, of which 900 hours must be conducted at general hospitals with 300 or more beds. Due to concerns about infections within medical institutions, most hospitals require interns to undergo PCR testing in advance, which inevitably caused financial burdens for the interns.

However, going forward, health insurance coverage for PCR testing will be applied to nursing college interns in the same way as it is for inpatients’ guardians and caregivers. The current PCR test cost, which is around 100,000 won, is expected to drop to about 4,000 won.

Interns must receive a PCR test at the medical institution where they are currently practicing or scheduled to practice to be eligible for health insurance coverage. If the scheduled medical institution is far away, as an exception, they may be tested at another nearby medical institution. However, to do so, they must obtain a test referral form from the medical institution and have their status as a test subject confirmed. Without these procedures, they must bear the test costs themselves as before.

Testing is allowed once from three days before the scheduled practice date at the medical institution up to the day of practice. If the internship continues at the medical institution, health insurance will also cover one test per week based on the initial test date.

Shin Gyeong-rim, president of the Korean Nurses Association, said, “Nursing college interns, who had issues with the burden of PCR test costs, will now have health insurance applied to their PCR tests,” adding, “We will continue to strive to ensure nursing students receive better quality education.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.