Seniors Aged 65+ No Longer Need to Pay Health Insurance Premiums! Two Counties Announce 'Automatic Full Subsidy Without Application' – Implementation Dates and Amounts Explained

To reduce the financial burden on the elderly and promote local aging-in-place, Pingtung County and Yunlin County in Taiwan have recently announced full subsidies for national health insurance premiums for residents aged 65 and above. While the two counties differ in implementation timelines, budget allocations, and 'wealth exclusions,' both aim to launch the program as early as January 2027. Many seniors are confused about eligibility, so here is a comprehensive overview of implementation dates, subsidy amounts, and qualification requirements.

Pingtung County: Up to NT$826 Subsidy, Wealth Exclusion Rules and Filing Guidelines

Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi recently announced that starting January 2027, the county will implement a 'full subsidy for health insurance premiums for seniors aged 65 and above' (55 and above for indigenous people). Due to the inclusion of wealth exclusions, many residents have called to inquire about eligibility.

### 1. Eligibility and Subsidy Amount

- **Residency Requirement**: Registered in Pingtung County for at least one year, aged 65 or above (55 or above for indigenous people). - **Subsidy Amount**: Up to NT$826 per month. - **Insurance Status Irrelevant**: Individuals receiving farmer's insurance, fisher's insurance, public servant insurance, labor insurance, or national pension are all eligible. - **Application Method**: No application required. The county government will automatically review and register eligible individuals using household registration and tax data.

### 2. Wealth Exclusion and 'Dependent Filing' Rules

- **Tax Rate Below 5%**: The applicant’s most recent year’s comprehensive income tax rate must be 5% or lower. - **Declared as Dependent by Children**: If the senior has no income or did not file taxes but is listed as a dependent, the system will check the 'entire household’s tax rate' of the taxpayer. The child’s comprehensive income tax rate must also be 5% or lower to qualify. However, the child’s household registration location (even outside Pingtung) does not affect the senior’s eligibility.

### 3. Locked Health Cards Can Still Qualify – But 'Filing Taxes Is Key'

- **Locked Due to Unpaid Premiums**: Individuals who qualify will have their health cards unlocked during the subsidy period and can use medical services normally without reactivation. However, past unpaid premiums must still be settled separately with the National Health Insurance Administration. - **Critical Reminder (Must File Taxes to Receive Subsidy)**: Social Affairs Director Liu Mei-shu emphasized that subsidies are automatically reviewed and deducted directly from the insurance premium calculation sheet via system matching. Therefore, seniors who live alone, have no children, or are retired and do not usually file taxes must file a tax return this year; otherwise, the system will lack tax data for review and registration. - **Billing Time Lag**: Since health insurance premiums are paid the following month, the bill received in January 2027 is for December 2026 premiums, which must still be paid as usual.

Yunlin County: 900 Million Budget Submitted, Launch Expected in 2027

### 1. Debt Reduction Enables Expanded Welfare, Benefiting 143,000 Seniors

Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan stated that the county has actively improved its financial health in recent years, reducing debt by over NT$10 billion and lowering the county’s debt ratio from 49.87% to 15.89%. With sufficient fiscal capacity, the county has allocated over NT$900 million annually, submitted to the county council for review. If approved, the program is expected to launch on January 1, 2027, benefiting approximately 143,000 seniors.

### 2. Pushing Legal Reform to Address 'Same Island, Different Fate'

Chang Chia-chun pointed out that she previously proposed amending Article 22 of the Elderly Welfare Act in the Legislative Yuan to establish a nationwide free health insurance policy for seniors, but the Executive Yuan did not adopt it. Currently, the six major cities and Keelung City offer health insurance subsidies for seniors, while non-six-major counties like Yunlin cannot afford to follow due to financial constraints, creating a 'same island, different fate' disparity. If Yunlin’s budget is approved, it will help ensure fairer and more comprehensive local elderly care.