According to the latest financial projections released by the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA), the cumulative balance of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) fund reached NT$201.2 billion by the end of April this year, equivalent to approximately 2.8 months of insurance benefit expenditures. Although the reserve level remains above the statutory one-month safety threshold, concerns have emerged over whether continued growth in the global budget could eventually lead to premium increases.

In response, Shih Chung-liang(石崇良), Minister of Health and Welfare, stated that there is no need to adjust NHI premium rates in the short term, emphasizing that “there will definitely be no premium increase next year.” Whether premiums will need to be adjusted the following year, however, will depend on updated financial assessments.

Shih explained that the current NHI financial model is primarily based on long-term projections spanning around ten years. However, rapid economic fluctuations in recent years — particularly the significant increase in supplementary premium revenue driven by a strong stock market, along with rising wages — have made short-term forecasting based on long-term models less accurate. Based on the latest reserve levels and the pace of annual global budget growth, he noted that this year’s total budget increase is approaching NT$60 billion, compared with approximately NT$53.1 billion the previous year and more than NT$40 billion the year before that. Under current financial conditions, he said, there is no need to raise premiums next year.

Still, Shih acknowledged that whether premium rates should be adjusted the following year will depend on updated financial data after last year’s final accounts are completed in June and additional financial analyses are conducted in the second half of the year. He emphasized that the NHI is a social insurance system with established financing mechanisms for both regular and supplementary premiums, adding that “when premium increases are necessary, they should be implemented.”

Shih also stressed that the government will continue seeking every possible source of additional funding support to maintain the long-term financial stability of the NHI system.

【2026-05-09/udn】