Pharmacy receipts in Korea for a travel insurance claim

What insurers usually ask for

Most travel policies reimburse medicine bought for an illness or injury that started on the trip, but only with paperwork. The usual set is proof of what you paid, proof of what it was for, and for prescription medicines the prescription itself. A card slip alone is usually not enough, because it shows an amount and a shop name and nothing else. Over-the-counter purchases are sometimes covered too, but many policies exclude or cap them; check yours before assuming.

• Itemised receipt from the pharmacy showing date, pharmacy name, items and amounts
• For prescription medicines: a copy of the prescription, or a document from the clinic stating the diagnosis
• For the doctor’s visit itself: the clinic’s receipt and, if your insurer asks, a medical certificate (진단서) or a simpler doctor’s note (소견서)

Ask for the documents at the moment you pay. Going back a week later works at a big hospital pharmacy but is a favour at a small one.

At the pharmacy: what to say

For a dispensed prescription the pharmacy can print a statement of the medicine and dispensing charges (약제비 계산서·영수증) with the pharmacy’s name. That is the document insurers want. For an over-the-counter purchase you get the card terminal receipt; ask the pharmacist to write the product names on it and stamp it, or to print a simple receipt with the items listed.

The pharmacy keeps the prescription it filled (the law requires it to keep it for two years). Doctors issue a prescription in two copies, so keep the second one, or take a photo before you hand it over.

At the clinic or hospital

• Ask for the receipt (진료비 영수증) at the payment desk, and the detailed bill (진료비 세부내역서) alongside it. The detailed bill lists each charge
• A medical certificate (진단서) is a formal document with the diagnosis and costs extra; the fee is posted at the desk. A doctor’s note (소견서) or a treatment confirmation (진료확인서) is usually cheaper and is enough for many insurers. Check your policy before paying for the formal one
• Larger hospitals can issue these in English on request. Small clinics usually issue them in Korean; insurers generally accept Korean documents with the amounts and dates legible, but ask yours

Paying

Pay by card if you can; the card statement is a second piece of evidence and documents the exchange rate for you. Receipts are in Korean won, and most insurers convert at the rate on the date of purchase, so keep the statement page showing the converted amount. If you pay cash, make sure the receipt shows the pharmacy name and business number, which the printed receipt does.

• Photograph every receipt and prescription the same day. Thermal paper fades
• Make sure the prescription and receipt carry your passport name. If a clinic registered a different spelling, ask them to correct it before you leave

Common problems

• The receipt shows only a total. Go back and ask for the itemised statement; a pharmacy that filled a prescription can always print one
• The purchase was over the counter. Some policies exclude it. Keep the receipt anyway and let the insurer decide
• You lost the receipt. Pharmacies must keep a dispensing record for prescriptions, so go back with your passport and the date and ask for a reprint

How prescriptions work in Korea

Phrases to show at the counter