The National Health Insurance Committee (NHIC) on Dec. 10 announced that it has decided to have the 2025 National Health Insurance (NHI) premium remain at 5.17%, as the NHI safety reserve is anticipated to maintain at a level equivalent to 2.17 months or 2.08 months of expenditures, depending on whether payers' or providers' proposed global budget growth rate is adopted. The NHIC, however, noted that the accuracy of financial forecasting for the NHI should be improved. The NHIC on Dec. 3 submitted its decision to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which will then forward them to the Executive Yuan for final approval.

To expand revenues and rein in costs, the NHIC recommended reforming the payment mechanism for the NHI basic premiums, as well as widening the streams of NHI premiums, such as by incorporating a fixed percentage of revenues from carbon fees, real estate and land taxes, business tax, and tobacco excise tax.

Secondly, the government should also reassess the requirement for the central government to shoulder at least 36% of NHI expenditures, as such funding could be invested elsewhere for better returns.

Thirdly, to address the NHI's fiscal imbalance in the medium- to long-term, the NHIC recommended improvements to the allocation of medical resources, reexamining the NHI global budget formula, and implementing cost reduction measures to redirect the savings back to the global budget. The NHIC also said that future reforms should take into consideration current demographic factors placing most of the NHI’s burdens on the shoulders of younger wage earners.

[2024-12-10/ United Daily News]