Consider the following cases: In Liugui preschool Center, Kaohsiung, the Tsai sisters, whose father has passed away and mother was sent to jail, have suspended their NHI and have overdue NHI payment; Lee, who was diagnosed with rare diseases and is now a student in Xin-yuan Elementary School in Pingtung, is now living with his great-grandmother and lives on the subsidies for people with moderate disabilities and the elderly; Ms. Liu, who lives in Qianzhen district of Kaohsiung city, is a divorced woman due to domestic violence and is now raising two young kids on her own. The pandemic has made it difficult for her to find a job, and she is thus unable to pay the NHI premiums. The aforementioned cases were reported to the NHIA via district offices and social welfare centers. After gaining a deeper understanding, the NHIA then took initiative in connecting charitable resources, helping the needy pay the premiums and acquire certification of low-income households, which then enabled them to seek medical attention when needed.
‘Caring for the needy’ is one of the visions of the NHI. The NHIA plays an active role in using the fund from lottery revenue and charity donations to help the needy families pay the overdue payment. Also, the NHIA integrates resources from social welfare centers, healthcare institutions, labor divisions and charity groups and offers subsidies for the NHI premium and emergency aids. By the end of June, the NHIA’s KaoPing Division has offered assistance to 1, 848 needy teenagers and families. The number of beneficiaries has reached 3, 523 and the amount of subsidy approximately totals NT$ 28. 37 million.
To offer assistance to more needy people, the NHIA hopes that the people from all fields can work together to safeguard the health of needy people and create a supportive network under social distancing.