Well, that's a stupid rule--Taiwan's health insurance

[boaz25]

@justintaiwan

I think they recently changed/proposed changes to this rule to prevent people doing this. Maybe that’s why she was auto re-enrolled?

I remember that there were supposed to be exceptions for people living overseas for a certain amount if time

The change that was being discussed (but not yet approved, I think) was more radical and was meant to only apply to citizens: either opt out forever or stay in forever.

In this case, I confirm what @Gilgamesh wrote because it happened to me as well.

1. Coverage starts from the moment you enter Taiwan. NHI is immediately notified.
2. 3 months is the minimum coverage that you need to pay for each time that you visit, even if your stay in Taiwan is shorter than that.
3. You have to remember to cancel your coverage once again before leaving or you will keep being charged (after the 3-month “minimum”).
4. If you visit Taiwan within less than 6 months from your previous stay, you will be charged for the whole period in-between.

@bingobango

Isn’t monthly insurance for a citizen just like ~900 NT a month? So…you lose 1800 I guess.

If you are in say…the US now, you are still in a great spot! So much money saved still.

If you all are in another country, yeah I have no idea if you still come out ahead. Still, 1800 is like eating out once at a nice-ish place

NHI premiums depend on your income. NT$826 was the minimum last year, but it can go up to several thousand a month. Also, I wouldn’t replace a travel insurance with NHI, which is too basic when it comes to emergencies and hospitalisation. Most Taiwanese buy a private insurance on top of their mandatory NHI contributions.