Chen Shih-chung Proposes Allocating Stock Tax to National Health Insurance for 20-Year Financial Stability

Administrative Minister Chen Shih-chung stated today that to address the long-term financial challenges of Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI), which has been in operation for 31 years, he proposes allocating part of the existing 0.3% stock transaction tax to the fund. This move would ensure financial balance for the next 20 years without adding extra costs to investors. Speaking at the '2026 Euro-Taiwan Medical Forum' hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT), Chen highlighted that while Taiwan's NHI system is 'world-class,' its financial structure is unsound. The current reliance on salary-based premiums is insufficient as wage growth lags behind increasing medical expenses. Chen noted that previous attempts to raise supplementary premiums on dividends and interest faced social resistance. He suggested that if a certain percentage of stock tax revenue—which he has monitored closely over the past six months—were dedicated to the NHI, it would uphold the spirit of 'ability-to-pay' and eliminate the need for frequent premium hikes. Currently, the NHI premium rate stands at 5.17%, close to the legal limit of 6%, leaving little room for adjustments amid an aging society and declining birthrate.