An anonymous donation to the National Health Insurance (NHI) provided a crucial lifeline to a teenager who had been struggling with living expenses and medical bills while caring for his elderly grandmother and aunt, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said today, as it touted its charity fund to help disadvantaged recipients pay premiums.
The agency late last month received a NT$1 million (US$31,607) donation to its Taipei division from a woman in her 70s, it said.
The donor wanted to help disadvantaged families who are struggling to pay their NHI premiums, so that those in need would not lose medical care due to financial hardship, the agency said.
Photo: Taipei Times
A team was sent to the donor’s home to give her a certificate of appreciation and thank her for her donation, NHIA Taipei Division Director Lee Chun-fu (李純馥) said.
The donor said she has long recognized that NHI safeguards public health and chose to donate so that disadvantaged families can seek medical care with peace of mind, the agency said.
After learning about the situation facing the 16-year-old boy surnamed Wu (吳), the Taipei division sent his family a donation to help them pay off their outstanding insurance premiums and regain NHI coverage.
Photo courtesy of the National Health Insurance Administration
Wu in a heartfelt thank-you letter said that medical expenses had placed a huge burden on the family after his father’s death, it said.
Wu vowed to study hard and contribute to society after growing up, paying forward the altruism that saved his family.
Last year, the NHIA’s Taipei division helped 537 disadvantaged families cover their medical expenses, allocating more than NT$10 million in donated funds, it said.
Since the NHIA Charity Fund was established, it has used more than NT$85 million in donations to help more than 3,600 disadvantaged families, it said.
Last year, the fund supported 176 minors with subsidies totaling more than NT$3.1 million, it added.
The fund also supported 117 disadvantaged families that were affected by typhoons Fung-wong and Podul last year, providing more than NT$2.7 million in support, the agency said.
The NHIA ensures that people do not fall into poverty due to illness or fall ill due to poverty, assisting the disadvantaged through its charity fund, NHIA Director-General Chen Lian-yu (陳亮妤) said.
It also helps people facing short-term financial difficulties by allowing premiums to be paid in installments and providing interest-free emergency loans, Chen said.
More information on financial assistance can be found on the NHIA’s official Web site.
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