Taiwanese who have been removed from household registration records due to the COVID-19 pandemic can re-enroll into the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme upon returning to Taiwan without the normal six-month wait, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that the pandemic has made international travel more difficult, so the rights and interests of some overseas Taiwanese might have been harmed, as they could not return home.
Government agencies have made adjustments to regulations to reduce possible damage to the rights and interests of overseas Taiwanese, Chen said.
Photo courtesy of the Central Epidemic Command Center
Department of Social Insurance Director Shang Tung-fu (商東福) said that those who have been away from Taiwan for more than two years are removed from household registration and withdrawn from the NHI scheme, but measures have been put in place to protect their right to enroll with the NHI and the national pension scheme.
People who were enrolled with the NHI on Jan. 1 last year can apply to the NHI Administration to continue their enrollment from the day they were removed, Shang said.
People who have been delisted from the household registration and NHI since Jan. 1, 2018, but return to Taiwan between Jan. 1 last year and Dec. 31 next year, can re-enroll with the NHI immediately without having to wait six months, he said.
The eased rules are similar for the national pension, he said, adding that people who were enrolled on Jan. 1 last year should apply with the Labor Insurance Bureau to continue their enrollment.
People who lose their household registration between Jan. 1 last year and Dec. 31 next year, and were not able to stay in Taiwan for more than 183 days per year for the past three years can apply with the bureau to have their claims recognized, he said.
The Ministry of Finance’s Taxation Administration also announced eased rules for recognizing residency for people who were removed from their household registration due to travel difficulties caused by the pandemic, as residency affects individual income tax and land value tax.
Meanwhile, Chen said that as of yesterday, the nation’s first-dose vaccination rate had reached 77.93 percent, while the full vaccination rate reached 56.8 percent.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), the CECC’s spokesman, said that there are still about 9.37 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in four brands available in Taiwan.
As there is now sufficient supply of vaccines in the nation, the CECC urges unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of serious complications or death, Chen said.
Taiwan yesterday reported eight imported cases, with six among them vaccine breakthrough infections, the CECC said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS