TAIWAN – Chinese students in Taiwan look forward to health insurance coverage

Chinese students studying in Taiwan said that they would welcome a proposed measure to include them in Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) program, saying the inclusion will help them “feel more secure” during their stay in Taiwan.

 

Under current guidelines, foreign residents are required to join the insurance program after living in Taiwan for four months. Chinese visitors who come to Taiwan to conduct technical or academic research can also be covered under the system.

 

However, many insurance companies refuse to reimburse students for various reasons, said Ma Jun, a Chinese graduate student at National Taipei University. For example, some students purchase overseas insurance plans, but some companies say Taiwan is not a foreign country and refuse to reimburse any costs to the students, says Ma.