1. The right to health is a universal human right, said Premier Chien-Jen Chen in the Cabinet meeting today (November 23) when addressing the issue of including Chinese students in the NHI program. Therefore, Chinese students with valid student status for more than 6 months should be eligible to enroll in the NHI program, like all foreign and overseas students. The Ministry of Health and Welfare shall make the new measure public pursuant to Paragraph 1 Article 8 of the Enforcement Rules of the National Health Insurance Act; the new measure shall be implemented on February 1, 2024. The Premier has asked all relevant ministries and offices to fulfill proper communications and necessary administrative preparations to allow Chinese students access to NHI healthcare while studying in Taiwan.

2. Premier Chen pointed out that the right to health is a universal human right and Chinese students studying in Taiwan are part of the Taiwanese education system. To safeguard their right to health and ensuring epidemic prevention in Taiwan, Chinese students with valid student status of over six months should not be excluded from the NHI program. On the contrary, Chinese students should be included in the same way as all foreign and overseas students. Premier Chen also appealed to the public to perceive this matter with an open heart and a positive attitude.

3. Premier Chen said that after meticulous cross-ministerial discussions, the Ministry of Health and Welfare shall announce the following as per Paragraph 1, Article 8 of the Enforcement Rules of the National Health Insurance Act: "The entry-exit permit in Taiwan (Republic of China) issued by the National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior with the purpose of 'Chinese student studying in Taiwan' is considered a certificate for long-term residence in Taiwan and may be used to grant its holder the eligibility to enroll in the NHI program as an insured."

4. Premier Chen added that considering the time necessary for relevant ministries and offices to prepare for and disseminate the new measure, the implementation date is set on February 1, 2024. The Premier specifically asked the Ministry of Education, the Mainland Affairs Council, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to properly communicate with the Chinese students and make necessary administrative preparations prior to the implementation of the new measure to ensure Chinese students have access to NHI healthcare while studying in Taiwan.