Two Department of Health (DOH) committees yesterday proposed a postponement of the second-generation National Health Insurance (NHI) program to allow for better preparation.
The proposal was made during the first joint meeting of the NHI Supervisory Committee and the NHI Medical Expenditure Negotiation Committee.
According to Eva Teng (滕西華) of the NHI Supervisory Committee, most committee members think it would be too rushed to implement the new system on July 1, because more than 50 related by-laws have yet to be promulgated.
In addition, many employers have no idea how to calculate the premium deductions from workers’ salaries, Teng said.
Chu Tong-kuang (曲同光), deputy convener of a DOH task force overseeing the NHI program, said the committees’ opinions would be conveyed to the Executive Yuan.
If the government decides to go ahead with the second-generation NHI in July as scheduled, the DOH will make sure that the essential work is completed by the end of May and all preparations finished by July, Chu said.
He also promised that the premium rates for the second-generation NHI would be lower than the current 5.17 percent.
According to an amendment last year to the National Health Insurance Act (全民健康保險法) that is scheduled to take effect in July, individuals will pay 4.91 percent of their regular monthly salary for NHI coverage.
Meanwhile, an additional 2 percent could be charged based on six categories of income, outside of salaries — bonuses more than four times the individual’s monthly salary, income from professional practice, stock dividends, interest, rent and moonlighting.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS