Elderly in Yunlin to Enjoy Free Health Insurance! Legislator Chang Chia-chun Launches Petition Endorsed by Magistrate Chang Li-shan, 143,000 Set to Benefit by Early Next Year

Elderly residents aged 65 and above in Yunlin County are set to receive a significant benefit: full subsidy of their national health insurance premiums. The policy, proposed by Legislative Yuan member Chang Chia-chun, has gained cross-party support from Yunlin County Council Speaker Huang Kai and multiple councilors. County Magistrate Chang Li-shan has pledged to include the funding in next year’s county budget, enabling early implementation. Approximately 143,000 seniors in Yunlin are expected to benefit as early as next year, directly reducing financial burdens on both elderly individuals and younger family members responsible for their care.

Currently, Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Taichung City, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, and Keelung City already provide health insurance subsidies for seniors aged 65 and above. However, non-metropolitan counties have long faced disparities in welfare due to constrained local government finances, creating a persistent urban-rural divide.

Chang Chia-chun previously proposed amendments to Article 22 of the Elderly Welfare Act in the Legislative Yuan, but the Executive Yuan has remained opposed. Given that Yunlin County’s fiscal condition has significantly improved over the past eight years, creating sufficient room for major social welfare initiatives, Chang decided to pursue this policy through local budgetary action.

With Chang Chia-chun’s leadership, the proposal received strong backing from Speaker Huang Kai, Kuomintang caucus convener Li Ming-che, Integrity Alliance convener Chung Ming-hsin, Public Opinion Alliance convener Liao Wei-ching, and several other Yunlin County councilors. This broad support led Magistrate Chang Li-shan to fully endorse the initiative. Chang emphasized that seeing the six major cities implement free health insurance has heightened concerns about accelerating population outflow. Upholding the principle of 'One Island, One Destiny,' she stated that Yunlin’s elderly must not be treated as 'second-class citizens,' and thus supports allocating the necessary funds in the budget.

In the context of soaring living costs, Chang Chia-chun stressed that fully subsidizing health insurance premiums will not only alleviate immediate daily expenses for retired seniors but also ease the financial burden on younger generations providing support. With the budget officially allocated for next year, Yunlin County is set to build a more robust care network for its super-aged society, balancing elder dignity with sound fiscal management.