Caring for the underprivileged groups has always been one of the NHI program's visions. To safeguard the health of underprivileged families, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) set up the NHI Donation Account and the Reporting Platform for the Underprivileged Population. The purpose of said measures is to ensure underprivileged people to pay for NHI premiums and receive medical care when necessary.
To provide further assistance to the underprivileged groups, the NHIA of Kaohsiung and Pingtung Regional Division has been proactively combining public and private resources through public-private partnerships. The Division has taken initiatives in collaborating with social, health, and labor affairs authorities, local administration offices, medical facilities, social welfare organizations, and charities in Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Penghu to identify underprivileged individuals who have been overlooked. Relevant assistance has been provided using the funds from the NHI Donation Account, the charity foundation of Taiwan Lottery, and the New Immigrants Development Fund; in some cases, referrals have been made to charities to help the individuals with premium payments, emergency relief funds, and daily necessities. In the past two years, such collaborations have helped a total of 7,534 families in special circumstances that were in need of emergency relief or living in areas with limited medical resources; the sum total of the subsidized premium is NT$116.79 million, which benefited over 16,000 individuals.
To show gratitude towards all parties, the NHIA of Kaohsiung and Pingtung Regional Division organized the 2023 NHI Caring for Underprivileged Groups Gratitude Ceremony on June 2. The Director General Shih, Chung-Liang indicated that the NHI coverage ratio in Taiwan has reached 100% and that NHIA shall endeavor in implementing the "Health for All" policy that has been advocated internationally to provide everyone with holistic and complete healthcare so that illness will no longer be a main cause for economic inequality. By organizing the Gratitude Ceremony, NHIA continues to gather power and resources from all sectors of the society to help underprivileged groups and increase relevant services to ensure underprivileged families do not have to worry about making medical visits.