The National Health Insurance premiums for 1.42 million civil servants, military personnel and public school teachers will be raised on Oct. 1 in a move that is expected to increase the program’s revenue by NT$1.2 billion (US$36.9 million) per year, the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) said.
The hike results from a Department of Health decision to increase the ratio used to calculate the insured portion of people’s salaries for the three categories of beneficiaries, from 90.67 percent to 93.52 percent of their full salaries, BNHI finance manager Lee Shao-chen (李少珍) said.
With the average monthly insured salary of the three categories NT$54,000, the average monthly premium will be increased by NT$23 to NT$779, Lee said.
This will mark the fourth time that the insured salary ratio of civil servants, military personnel and public school teachers has been raised since the insurance program was launched in 1995.
Also from Oct. 1, employers with fewer than five staff, self-employed professional and technical personnel and other types of self-employed individuals will see their minimum monthly insured income increase from NT$33,300 to NT$34,800.
Lee said the change would affect about 130,000 people, most of whom are owners of studios and small businesses, land agents, notaries, accountants and lawyers.
The premiums for these people will increase by NT$68 per month, generating an additional NT$100 million in revenue for the insurance program, Lee went on.
Meanwhile, the fixed premium for those serving compulsory military service or alternative service and those from low-income households will be raised from NT$1,317 to NT$1,376.
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