No need to raise National Health Insurance premiums: Health minister

Taipei, June 5 (CNA) There is currently no need to raise National Health Insurance (NHI) premiums, according to Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源), despite speculation in the media over upward pressure on the health budget.

"There are still quite a lot of variables in estimating NHI, and financial resources may fluctuate," Chiu said on Thursday in response to a journalist's question about whether premiums would be raised next year.

"I dare not be definitive about it now, but in essence, there will be no need to raise NHI premiums," he said.

According to an article published by the Taiwan-based newspaper China Times on Thursday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has a draft budget for 2026 with growth figures ranging from 2.9 percent to 5.5 percent.

The article said the MOHW's internal calculations showed that if the 5.5 percent figure was adopted, the NHI budget would increase by NT$51.5 billion to NT$988.31 billion, potentially leading to upward pressure on premiums.

The article also quoted Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital Vice President Hung Tzu-ren (洪子仁) as supporting a 5.5 percent increase to maintain the resilience of hospital finances.

In Taiwan, citizens with household registration and foreign nationals living in the country with an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) must enroll in the NHI program, granting them access to the country's centralized healthcare system.

Premiums are calculated according to factors including employment status and income, according to the National Health Insurance Administration.