Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi on March 18 said that the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has asked its departments to request additional central government funding from the Executive Yuan to free up NT$10 billion in spending on programs that have been funded by the National Health Insurance (NHI) global budget. She said that the MOHW is aiming to have the government shoulder a larger share of spending so that the NHI can focus on its mission. However, as the matter involves Taiwan’s fiscal policy, further discussions with the Cabinet are required.

Deputy Minister Lin said that the government is planning to strengthen the NHI system through better implementation of the referral system, promoting automation solutions for hospital administrative work to ease the burden on health professionals, and working with the Financial Supervisory Commission to enable private health insurance to complement the NHI.

Deputy Minister Lin expressed hope for the government to help private insurers design new policies to complement the NHI, noting that the NHI should meet the people’s basic healthcare needs while the addition of private health insurance can promote the development of new drugs and provide more treatment options.

[2025-3-18/Wealth Magazine]