Q&A/Taiwan's health token incentive program

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) Taiwan will launch a new "health token" incentive program in October to reward adults with small product discounts for undergoing various types of preventive health checks and screenings.

CNA has compiled the following Q&A to explain how the program will work.

Who is eligible for the program?

The health token program will be open to anyone over 18 enrolled in Taiwan's national health insurance program, including foreign nationals.

How does it work?

Under the program, adults who participate in designated health activities, such as checkups and screenings, will receive a certain number of tokens for each activity.

The tokens can then be redeemed at several types of retail outlets, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and pharmacies, at a rate of one token to NT$1.

When does it start?

People can begin collecting health tokens on Oct. 1 and can begin redeeming them on Dec. 1.

How long are the tokens valid?

The tokens will expire two years after they are earned.

How do I collect and redeem health tokens?

The program makes use of the official NHI app's My Health Bank (健康存摺) feature and the Health GO app.

First-time users will have to register on both apps, after which each can be used individually.

According to Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬), deputy director of the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), the "My Health Bank" feature will be used to track the number of tokens one has and to search various activities through which tokens can be earned.

The Health GO app, meanwhile, will be used for redeeming the tokens, Shen said.

Is there a maximum number of tokens I can collect?

The maximum number of tokens collectable within a two-year period will vary based on age, sex and whether or not one has health risk factors.

Those aged under 40 can earn between 3,700 and 7,300 tokens, while those aged 40 to 65 can earn between 7,500 and 11,000 tokens. People aged 65 and over can earn between 8,350 and 13,150 tokens.

Users must collect at least 1,000 tokens before they are able to begin redeeming them, according to the HPA.

Where can the tokens be redeemed?

The tokens can be redeemed for specific products or service fees at 7-Eleven, Family Mart, PX Mart, World Gym, Fitness Factory, Curves, Great Tree and Wellcare pharmacies, various life insurance providers, and the 26 Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW)-run hospitals.

At convenience stores, for example, they will be available for use on items such as sugar-free beverages, fresh foods or coffee.

What's in the fine print?

According to Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良), users will not be able to redeem the tokens for the full price of a product, but rather for a "small discount."

As an example, Shih said tokens could be used for a NT$5 discount on coffee at a convenience store, or a 10-20 percent discount on certain products at a pharmacy.

Other details of the reward system are still being finalized, and will be announced before December, Shih said.

The purpose of using small discounts, and not letting people spend all their tokens at once, is to encourage them to use the rewards repeatedly, helping them build healthy living habits, Shih said.

What are some examples of how many tokens one can earn from various health checks?

Under the program, users can earn 800 tokens for an adult preventive health checkup, 900 tokens for publicly funded colorectal or cervical cancer screening, and 1,000 tokens for publicly funded breast, lung or oral cancer screening.

One can also collect 450 tokens for getting a flu vaccine, 900 tokens for a COVID-19 vaccine, and 600 tokens for a pneumococcal vaccine, regardless of whether it is publicly or self-funded.

Users will also get 200 tokens when they log into My Health Book's health token section for the first time, and another 100 tokens for filling out a lifestyle assessment questionnaire.