The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday announced new health policies that would take effect next year, including a monthly subsidy increase of NT$1,000 (US$31.77) per month to low-income households, and the launching of the Long-Term Care 3.0 Program with expanded eligibility.
The living subsidies for low-income and middle-low-income households would be increased next year, according to the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例), the Department of Social Assistance and Social Work said.
Between next month and the end of January 2027, an additional NT$1,000 per month would be given to low-income households and an additional NT$750 per month to middle-low-income households, it said, adding that the policy is expected to benefit about 545,000 people.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
The Department of Long-Term Care said the 10-year Long-Term Care 3.0 Program would be launched next month, and eligibility for the services would be expanded to include two more groups of people.
The two groups are “individuals of any age with dementia and disability,” and “patients of the National Health Insurance Administration’s [NHIA] Post-acute Care Program that meet the criteria of Long-Term Care Level 2 or higher,” it said.
The program is expected to improve long-term care accessibility and quality, and an estimated 745,000 people might use the services, it added.
Regarding improving care services for elderly people living alone, the Social and Family Affairs Administration said it would work with the Ministry of the Interior to visit more than 700,000 elderly people living alone next year to understand their needs, deliver meals and install emergency rescue equipment, as well as to promote caring for elderly people living alone.
In improving care for underprivileged groups, the agency said starting from next month until the end of January 2027, individuals whose “average distribution of total household income” is 1.5 times to up to 2.5 times the nation’s “minimum living expense for a household per capita” would receive an additional living subsidy of NT$500 per person per month.
The Health Promotion Administration said a one-time free Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test would be offered to people aged 45 to 74 starting next year, and it estimated that more than 600,000 people would benefit from the policy.
The Department of Social Insurance said National Pension insured persons that are not enrolled in other social insurances, who have given birth to a newborn of Taiwanese nationality and have applied for the National Pension maternity benefit, could receive an increased benefit of NT$100,000 per child.
The National Pension monthly insured amount would also be increased from NT$19,761 to NT$21,103 next year, and insurance premiums and insurance payouts would be adjusted accordingly, it said, adding that the policy would affect about 2.78 million National Pension-insured people.
As for National Health Insurance (NHI) insured people, the maximum partial burden fee (pay-out-of-pocket) for inpatient services of acute wards less than 30 days or chronic care wards less than 180 days would be adjusted next year — to NT$57,000 for each hospital stay for the same illness, and to NT$95,000 for the accumulated hospital stay in a year.
The NHIA estimated that the policy might affect about 11,000 people next year, and the total partial burden fees might increase by about NT$61.98 million.
The NHIA also announced the removal or inclusion of several therapies and medicines from NHI coverage next year, adjustments to the minimum monthly insurance amount for certain groups of insured individuals, and revisions to NHI medical service payment standards.
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