NHI premiums not to be raised in 2026: minister

Taipei, Sept. 25 (CNA) Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) premiums will not be raised next year because the system is forecast to retain sufficient reserves, Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said Thursday.

Under the National Health Insurance Act, the minimum reserve level is set at the equivalent of one month of expenditures to ensure system stability.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) now expects the NHI's reserves to reach about 2.8 months of expenditures by the end of the year, Shih told reporters at a press event. Even if next year's budget is calculated using the higher projected growth rate of 5.5 percent, the reserves are still expected to remain close to two months, he said.

Earlier this year, the MOHW projected budget growth of between 2.9 percent and 5.5 percent for 2026. At the high end, spending could approach NT$1 trillion (US$32.86 billion), potentially putting upward pressure on premiums.

Shih said the NHI budget for 2026 is projected to increase by nearly NT$60 billion compared with this year, providing more resources for healthcare services nationwide.

In addition to subsidies for rare disease treatments and new cancer drugs, the budget will focus on two key priorities: nurse retention and pediatric care, he said.

An additional NT$5.5 billion will be allocated to nursing salaries and related expenses, with the aim to invest NT$10 billion over four years to improve nurses' pay and working conditions. The goal is to encourage staff to return to hospitals and boost capacity for acute and inpatient care.

Meanwhile, NT$24.9 billion will be allocated for pediatric care in 2026, Shih said, including compensation for pediatricians caring for children aged 0-6 and raising NHI payments for acute and critical pediatric care.