WCI scheme is a social security scheme to compensate a worker exposed to a work-related accident for his/her consequent injury or disease on a timely, fair basis, and thereby, subsequently facilitate his/her rehabilitation and return to society.
It’s an employer, not his/her worker as beneficiary, that shall register with the WCI scheme; any workplace with one full-time worker or more shall be mandatorily covered by WCI, regardless of its owner’s (i.e. employer’s) intents.
The Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service (“COMWEL”) shall collect WCI premiums, in place of the Government, from employers whose workplace (or workplaces) is subject to WCI-mandatory coverage so that it may provide medical care services (including the attendant WCI benefits) for a worker with a work-related injury or disease, and thereby, facilitate his/her return to works.
■ Medical Care Benefits (“MCBs”)
MCBs refer to benefits in kind granted to an eligible worker. That is, it shall be ensured that an IIW receives medical care services from a WCI-authorized medical service provider, and then, that the COMWEL directly pays the medical service provider for the said medical care services; however, the worker may be directly given incurred medical expenses under any circumstances beyond his/her control.
※ Medical treatment (or diagnosis) expenses (e.g. differences between high-class sickroom and general sickroom expenses, etc.) covered by neither the National Health Insurance (“NHI”) nor the WCI may not be compensated for.
■ Permanent Disability Benefits (“PDBs”)
PDBs refer to benefits paid to an eligible worker who physically and/or mentally has any remaining permanent disability after his/her recovery from a work-related injury or disease. The eligible worker shall be paid PDBs corresponding to daily average wages multiplied by days for which he/she will be eligible for PDBs based on his/her Disability Grade
■ Survivors’ Benefits (“SBs”)
SBs refer to benefits paid to the eligible survivors of a worker whose consequent death has been caused by a work-related injury or disease. In principle, the eligible survivors shall be paid in annuity SBs due to them; however, they may elect to be paid in annuity 50% of the SBs due to them and the remaining 50% on a lump-sum basis. If there are no eligible survivors who can be paid SBs in annuity, the corresponding SBs may be paid on a lump-sum basis.
