The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) last year collected NT$44.73 billion (US$1.53 billion) in supplementary premiums, the highest total in five years, with one landlord in his 70s paying NT$2.98 million.
Collection of the supplementary premium, which is imposed on employers and insured individuals who earn more than NT$20,000 per non-salary source, started when the second-generation National Health Insurance program was implemented in 2013.
The six non-salary sources of income are stock dividends, interest, second jobs, rent, professional practices and job bonuses that exceed four times an individual’s monthly salary.
Last year’s total was an increase of NT$400 million from 2016, agency data released yesterday showed.
Employers last year contributed NT$24.95 billion, or 53.5 percent, of the overall annual supplementary premium total, while individuals contributed NT$20.78 billion, NHIA section head Lee Chun-er (李春娥) said.
Of the six non-salary sources, dividends last year accounted for the greatest proportion at NT$9.13 billion, or 43.9 percent, followed by bonuses at NT$5.62 billion, or 27 percent, and rent at NT$2.68 billion, or 12.9 percent, he said.
The insured individuals who paid the largest supplementary premiums in the six categories last year were all men aged between 40 and 70, he added.
The individual who paid the most overall is a landlord in his 70s living in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義), who last year earned more than NT$156 million from rent and paid a supplementary premium of NT$2.98 million, Lee said, adding that the landlord holds the record for largest premium paid for the fifth consecutive year.
The individual who paid the second-most overall is a man living in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店), who last year earned more than NT$107.85 million working 154 second jobs and paid a supplementary premium of NT$2.06 million, Lee said.
The NHIA has collected more than NT$40 billion per year in supplementary premiums since the mechanism was launched in 2013, Lee said, adding that the total is expected to exceed NT$45 billion this year.
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