President Lai: NHI Budget Hits 1 Trillion TWD to Improve Conditions for Medical Staff
President Lai Ching-te announced today that Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) budget will exceed 1 trillion TWD for the first time in 2026, aimed at adjusting payments for difficult procedures and improving the working environment for healthcare professionals.
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- 📰 Published: April 25, 2026 at 14:05
- 🔍 Collected: April 25, 2026 at 14:31 (26 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 14:43 (12 min after Collected)
President Lai Ching-te stated today that the total budget for the National Health Insurance (NHI) has surpassed NT$1 trillion for the first time this year. He hopes to use this budget to adjust payments under a 'differential pay for differential work' model and to allow medical institutions to improve working conditions for medical personnel. He noted that nursing recruitment has recovered to pre-pandemic levels this year.
President Lai, a physician by training, attended the opening ceremony of the '2026 Annual Meeting of the Taiwan Surgical Association and International Joint Surgical Symposium' in Taipei this morning. He stated that as the first Taiwanese president with a medical background, he established the 'Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee' to gather the strength of the medical community and society to make the nation's people healthier and the country stronger, while letting the international community see Taiwan.
'Money isn't everything, but without it, you can't do anything,' Lai remarked. He said the growth rate of the NHI budget has been set at a high estimate of 5.5% for the past two years, and items that shouldn't be included have been removed from the total budget, totaling over NT$10 billion in both last year and this year.
President Lai expressed hope that medical institutions would use these funds to improve working conditions and increase salaries for staff, which would in turn allow them to purchase equipment and train talent. This also enables the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to adjust NHI payments to achieve 'differential pay for differential work,' which is crucial for surgery. Payments for difficult surgeries and departments such as internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics should be increased.
From fetuses to the elderly, different diseases occur at different stages of life. Lai said that NT$48.9 billion has been allocated over five years for the 'Healthy Taiwan Deepening Project,' inviting medical associations and institutions to apply and help solve frontline difficulties while enhancing patient care.
Regarding manpower, Lai noted a report from MOHW Minister Shih Chung-liang stating that nursing staff levels have stabilized, with new recruitment this year returning to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that government measures are effective.
Lai emphasized the need to retain doctors, lab technicians, and all medical professionals, hoping everyone in the healthcare system can take pride in their work. 'Saving lives is a sacred job; we must reclaim that sense of glory,' he said.
He also thanked the MOHW for its swift action in unifying information formats across medical centers, which will expand to regional hospitals and clinics. This will allow for the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the establishment of assistant systems to help improve medical work.
Lai concluded by saying that with collective efforts, the 'Medical Accident Prevention and Dispute Resolution Act' can serve as a foundation for avoiding medical disputes. Throughout his political career from legislator to president, he has always aimed to build a better medical environment, providing physicians with more room to excel and promoting the health and well-being of the public.
President Lai, a physician by training, attended the opening ceremony of the '2026 Annual Meeting of the Taiwan Surgical Association and International Joint Surgical Symposium' in Taipei this morning. He stated that as the first Taiwanese president with a medical background, he established the 'Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee' to gather the strength of the medical community and society to make the nation's people healthier and the country stronger, while letting the international community see Taiwan.
'Money isn't everything, but without it, you can't do anything,' Lai remarked. He said the growth rate of the NHI budget has been set at a high estimate of 5.5% for the past two years, and items that shouldn't be included have been removed from the total budget, totaling over NT$10 billion in both last year and this year.
President Lai expressed hope that medical institutions would use these funds to improve working conditions and increase salaries for staff, which would in turn allow them to purchase equipment and train talent. This also enables the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to adjust NHI payments to achieve 'differential pay for differential work,' which is crucial for surgery. Payments for difficult surgeries and departments such as internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics should be increased.
From fetuses to the elderly, different diseases occur at different stages of life. Lai said that NT$48.9 billion has been allocated over five years for the 'Healthy Taiwan Deepening Project,' inviting medical associations and institutions to apply and help solve frontline difficulties while enhancing patient care.
Regarding manpower, Lai noted a report from MOHW Minister Shih Chung-liang stating that nursing staff levels have stabilized, with new recruitment this year returning to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that government measures are effective.
Lai emphasized the need to retain doctors, lab technicians, and all medical professionals, hoping everyone in the healthcare system can take pride in their work. 'Saving lives is a sacred job; we must reclaim that sense of glory,' he said.
He also thanked the MOHW for its swift action in unifying information formats across medical centers, which will expand to regional hospitals and clinics. This will allow for the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the establishment of assistant systems to help improve medical work.
Lai concluded by saying that with collective efforts, the 'Medical Accident Prevention and Dispute Resolution Act' can serve as a foundation for avoiding medical disputes. Throughout his political career from legislator to president, he has always aimed to build a better medical environment, providing physicians with more room to excel and promoting the health and well-being of the public.