The Democratic Progressice Party has also urged the DOH to recover premiums that Taipei and Kaohsiung cities owe the Bureau of National Health Insurance to bridge the system’s shortfall.
In response, Yaung said that recovering the money would not help the system financially because money had already been borrowed from local banks to cover the amounts owed, but he pledged that the money would be collected nonetheless.
Taipei owes approximately NT$36.7 billion and Kaohsiung owes about NT$18.7 billion in premium contributions they were supposed to make on behalf of people working but not residing in their cities.
The two municipalities argued that they were only liable to make premium payments on behalf of city residents and took the case to court, but the courts eventually rejected their argument and ordered them to pay the premiums due.
Taipei has dragged its feet in responding to the court order.
Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) said arrangements have already been worked out with the two cities to repay the balance owed. Taipei and Kaohsiung have agreed to repay what they owe over eight years and six years, respectively.
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