Between December 31, 2020→June 30, 2022
For some time after December 31, 2021 NHI charged the usual 200 NTD fee for an updated NHI insurance card after unified ID number had changed getting new A(P)RC for any reason.
If you have renewed your health insurance card with a new number and paid the cost after January 1, 2022, you can apply to the National Health Insurance Administration for a refund of the cost. 移民署中文網-換發新式統號後，我的健保卡要重辦嗎？重辦的話是否要費用？有相關問題可以洽詢誰？
If anyone got a refund please share the process. I will try to find out and do it today.
If you have any questions, please contact the health insurance hotline: 0800-030-598; call from your mobile phone: 02-4128678
Called the immigration hotline.
The refund can be granted only for anyone who updated their NHI card after Jan. 2022. The ID number changes started in Jan. 2021.
So anyone who had their ID number changed in the first year got shafted. WTF
Not about the money for me. But there are plenty of blue-collar workers who hard earned those 200 NTD. It is not insignificant for their families overseas.
They are often excluded from any relief payments as well.
I paid those 200 NTD in 2021 and it was just a small cost of living in Taiwan.
If they are fair, then why cut off refunds in 2022?
The unified ID number change was forced on all alien residents without being useful.
I was pretty clear why I needed it. Showed them my ID with the new number.
It was still while NHI claimed an update is not necessary, but later reversed to free necessary updates. They even did it automatically at some point, until they stopped due to chip shortage.
They gave me a call. The guy was apologetic and said they also felt this is unfair. They will forward the feedback to the management. They have to follow the policy in place and are not allowed to give refunds prior to 2022.
One thing he mentioned, in the beginning there was no funding for refunds in NHI budget planned for free NHI cards due to mandatory unified ID change for alien residents. Initially they did not know the NHI card update would be necessary. One can see this on early brochures that say NHI card does not need to be updated. This was another failure on the people who planned the A(P)RC ID change process.
I’m still confused about whether or not I ever need to update my NHI card…have only heard of nothing but problems.
Still dealing with some issues due to the ARC ID# change. Every single foreigner that I know that has been in Taiwan for a few years prior to the change and the transition period has had nothing but trouble and frustration.
I’m pretty sure it was mentioned elsewhere that legally you must change within 10 years. My passport doesn’t expire until 2026; this whole process seems pretty fubar so I’m not changing before then, it at all possible.
That seems manageable. the rules will probably have changed by 10 years anyway. ain’t changing till they notify me I guess. they require us to record our movement for their tracking convenience, so I suppose this is a good situation we can let them “have their way”. Buuuut, also dont want to lose my visa or get deported
