The Ministry of Health and Welfare today announced changes for National Health Insurance (NHI) premiums that will go into effect next year, in line with adjustments to wages.
An estimated 8.21 million people will have their premiums adjusted, of which 7.71 million will see their monthly premiums increase slightly by an average of NT$21, with 100,000 people experiencing an average maximum increase of NT$831, while 400,000 would pay less.
The adjustments will result in an NT$8.6 billion (US$263 million) injection of funds into the health care sector.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
In response to the minimum wage adjustment from NT$27,470 to NT$28,590, the ministry revised the NHI’s premiums table, increasing the first-tier premium amounts from NT$27,470, NT$27,600, and NT$28,800 to NT$28,590 and NT$28,800.
Those primarily affected by these adjustments are three groups: employees, both in government and in the private sector, as well as those who are self-employed or independent; those with no fixed employers but are in occupational unions; and farmers, fisherman, or members of conservancy associations.
Of the 400,000 to see decreases in premiums, 370,000 of them will have their premiums reduced by NT$4 to NT$6, while 30,000 will have reductions of NT$508 to NT$603.
Since 2021, income growth for high-income earners has outpaced that for low-income earners, said Department of Social Insurance deputy head Chen Chen-hui (陳真慧).
To ensure equal access to insurance, the maximum premium amount has been adjusted from NT$219,500 to NT$313,000, affecting 100,000 people with an average monthly increase of NT$831.
The limit on out-of-pocket expenses for hospitalizations has also been adjusted, increasing from NT$50,000 to NT$51,000 for a single visit and NT$84,000 to NT$86,000 for the year, although this is not applicable for those with severe illnesses or from low-income households.
The total number of people expected to be affected by this increase is 10,800 people and is expected to bring in NT$11.98 million to the insurance system.
Additionally, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has approved a special temporary fund of NT$5 billion for new cancer drugs, intended to be part of treatment options with evidence of effectiveness but not yet covered due to budget limitations.
Other changes to the NHI next year also include updating the classification of diseases to more precisely diagnose patients and expanding the integrated care program to new areas and increase its service capacity to 50,000 people.
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