Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan said that although previous estimates indicate that the National Health Insurance’s (NHI) safety reserves could fall to a level equivalent to 0.99 months in expenditures, due to better-than-expected collection of supplemental premiums, revised estimates show that the safety reserve will be able to stand above one month’s expenditure, easing immediate concerns. Due to still-gloomy outlook on the safety reserve level for 2023, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has drafted a NT$24 billion budget to pad NHI funding. The budget has since been submitted to the legislature for review to ensure that the safety reserve stay above the threshold equivalent to one month’s expenditure.

Minister Hsueh acknowledged that there are no plans to raise the NHI premium rates in 2022 or 2023, making a three-year streak without premium rate hikes. However, due to continuously expanding expenditures, he also noted that the National Health Insurance Act may be amended to raise premium rates cap beyond the current 6-percen. He expects a single-digit rate increase under 10 percent.

On the long-stalled revision to the copayment system, Minister Hsueh said that new rules could be implemented towards the end of this year or early next year, and noted that authorities will keep in consideration of economic factors including Taiwan’s high inflationary pressure and outlooks on export and GDP growth. Improving economic conditions in 2023 may allow the new copayment rules to be implemented

[2022-11-10/China Times]