The government is planning to fully subsidize National Health Insurance (NHI) fees for people aged 65 or older who do not have any dependents, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said yesterday.
The agency proposed the plan after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and Taiwan People’s Party candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) pledged to fully subsidize NHI fees for the group if elected.
NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) told a news briefing after a Cabinet meeting that more than 50 percent of people aged 65 or older already receive some form of NHI subsidy offered by the central or local governments.
Photo: CNA
Government officials at the meeting mainly addressed problems related to coverage of elderly people in the sixth category of insured persons, which includes veterans and their spouses, as well as jobless people without dependents.
“The Veterans Affairs Council has allocated a budget to subsidize NHI fees for veterans and their spouses. However, there are still about 700,000 people who might not be covered, because they are unemployed and do not have dependents,” Shih said.
“We will look into this particular group of people and see how many of them have never received any government subsidy and are below the income level stipulated in the regulations before proposing any plan,” Shih said, adding that the agency would begin by looking at how much income tax they pay.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) said that one must first consider the serious consequences should the government fully subsidize NHI fees for elderly people.
“Not only would it affect the National Health Insurance Fund and possibly compromise medical service quality, but it could crowd out funding for other welfare projects,” Lin said.
“However, there are some people who do not receive any form of subsidy under the current welfare system and whose income fall below the criteria. As such, we have asked the Ministry of Health and Welfare to conduct a more detailed assessment on the exact number of people who have never received subsidies for NHI and the amount of funding required to cover them, and whether the subsidies would create additional financial burden on the country and compromise the principle of fairness,” Lin said.
Taiwan last night blanked world No. 1 Japan 4-0 to win the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time. Taiwanese ace Lin Yu-min (林昱珉) held defending champions Japan to just one hit and no runs in the first four innings, before catcher Lin Chia-cheng (林家正) opened the fifth inning with a solo home run. That was soon followed by a three-run homer from Taiwanese captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) to put Taiwan ahead in the prestigious tournament of the world’s top 12 baseball teams. In addition to a superb performance from 21-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Lin, three more Taiwanese pitchers
Taiwan yesterday advanced to the gold medal match of the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time in history, despite last night losing 9-6 to Japan. Taiwan advanced after the US defeated Venezuela in the first game on the last day of the Super Round. However, the US had no chance of advancing to the championship game unless it defeated Venezuela by at least nine points. The US won 6-5. As a result, the two teams — who both had one win and two losses in the Super Round — are to face off again in the
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday held an equipment installation ceremony for its first 2-nanometer fab in Kaohsiung, six months ahead of schedule, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said. “To cope with the strong global demand for advanced chips, TSMC is to start moving in equipment for its first-ever 2-nanometer fab half a year earlier than scheduled,” Chen said at an question-and-answer session at the Kaohsiung City Council. TSMC’s 2-nanometer process technology would help accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) applications as well as the transformation of local industries in Kaohsiung, Chen said in a
TEAM TAIWAN: While lawmakers proposed declaring Nov. 24 a national day, the CPBL commissioner urged the legislature to pass the budget for sports development Lawmakers yesterday proposed designating Nov. 24 as National Baseball Day and updating the design of the NT$500 bill to honor the national team’s victory in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Premier12 championship on Sunday, as thousands of fans came out to see the players parade down the streets of Taipei. Players, coaches and staff from the national team returned home on Monday night after achieving their best-ever performance in an international baseball tournament. After receiving a rapturous welcome at the airport, the players turned out yesterday for a street parade in front of thousands of adoring fans waving Taiwanese flags and
RSS