Taiwan Reflects on New Health Insurance Policy for Citizens Living Abroad | Taiwan News

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TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Director General of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Administration Lee Po-chang (李伯璋) said on Saturday (September 19) that the government was considering a new health insurance policy for citizens who live abroad but take advantage of the country’s medical resources.

As Taiwanese continue to return from overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic, the debate over whether they should be allowed to share the same National Health Insurance (NHI) benefits as others has been renewed. Many Taiwanese believe that citizens who have lived and worked in other countries for many years should pay more than the minimum health insurance premium to receive social benefits from the scheme.

The controversy first emerged in 2016 when China-based Taiwanese singer Huang An (黃安) returned to the island nation for medical treatment under the NHI program. He is infamous for opposing Taiwanese independence and forcing 16-year-old Taiwanese K-pop star Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜) to apologize for waving a flag Taiwanese in one of his music videos.

Recently, the issue was raised again when a Taiwanese couple, having lived in the United States for almost 30 years, returned to Taiwan to receive treatment for the coronavirus. Although in the end they had to cover their own medical expenses, questions remained about the shortcomings of the NHI system as many Taiwanese abroad pay the lowest premium of NT $ 749 (24.5 USD) per month without paying in-country taxes, CNA reported.

In a press interview on Saturday, Lee said the government was considering reform of the NHI to reduce abuse of the program. He said formal talks would begin in October, but it is likely that Taiwanese will have to pay AMN premiums even when they are abroad, if they want to enjoy the benefits upon their return.

Lee also noted that many citizens pay the minimum premium despite having huge income in other countries. He said amendments will be made to prevent such abuses and that the government will take a tougher stance on the issue, New Talk reported.


Lee Po-chang, director general of the National Health Insurance Administration (CNA photo)

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