Taipei: Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) premiums will not face an increase in 2026 as there are sufficient reserves projected to support the system, Health Minister Shih Chung-liang announced. The decision aligns with the forecasts that the NHI's reserves will exceed the minimum required level set by the National Health Insurance Act.
According to Focus Taiwan, the National Health Insurance Act mandates a minimum reserve level equivalent to one month of expenditures to maintain system stability. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) anticipates that the reserves will reach approximately 2.8 months of expenditures by the end of the year. Even with an optimistic budget growth rate of 5.5 percent for next year, reserves are expected to remain close to two months, Shih stated.
Earlier projections by the MOHW estimated budget growth between 2.9 percent and 5.5 percent for 2026. At the upper limit, spending could approach NT$1 trillion (US$32.86 billion), which could have led to increased premiums. However, Shih confirmed that the NHI budget for 2026 is set to rise by nearly NT$60 billion compared to the current year, allowing for expanded healthcare services across the nation.
The budget will prioritize subsidies for rare disease treatments and new cancer drugs, alongside a focus on nurse retention and pediatric care. An additional NT$5.5 billion is allocated to nursing salaries and related expenses, contributing to a four-year investment plan of NT$10 billion aimed at improving nurses' pay and working conditions. This initiative seeks to encourage healthcare staff to return to hospitals and enhance capacity for acute and inpatient care.
Furthermore, NT$24.9 billion is designated for pediatric care in 2026, which includes compensation for pediatricians attending to children aged 0-6 and increased NHI payments for acute and critical pediatric care.