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Taiwan's medical facilities were seriously damaged during the Second World War and much was to be done thereafter. As Taiwan is located in the sub-tropics, epidemics were frequent at the time. Health authorities decided to put medical progression on the back burner, and gave precedence to the fundamental development of a public health system. This policy served to lay a solid and strong foundation for Taiwan's medical advancement in later years. The major measures taken at the time included the wide establishment of health stations, the elimination of malaria, plague, and cholera, the application of universal vaccination, the promotion of women's and children's health and the improvement of family planning. It also promoted the construction of a health network prior to the launching of the National Health Insurance program.
Prior to the implementation of the National Health Insurance, Taiwan had 13 social insurances, such as Labor Insurance, Government Employees Insurance and Farmers Insurance, which provided composite social security benefits including health care coverage based on professions. In 1986, the government officially announced that the National Health Insurance would be implemented. The Department of Health then set up the NHI Planning Team in 1991 and established a Provisional Office in 1993. On August 9, 1994, the NHI Act was enacted and put into effect. |
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On January 1, 1995, the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) was established. On March 1, 1995, the National Health Insurance program was launched, and its important features include: mandatory enrollment, a single payer system, and premiums financed. On January 1 2004, the BNHI turned the NHI card from a paper one to a smart card which can serve a key of the information network between the patients, healthcare providers, and the BNHI.
On January 1, 2013, the 2nd Generation NHI was officially implemented and supplementary premiums were levied. To successfully implement the policies related to health and welfare, the health and welfare systems were integrated into a single ministry and the Department of Health was reinstituted to become the Ministry of Health and Welfare on July 23, the BNHI also had its name changed to the National Health Insurance Administration and became the agency responsible for the planning and implementation of policies. |