Healthcare in Taiwan

Taiwan’s healthcare design emerged as greatly desirable to its Western counterparts. This country's current healthcare system was established in 1995 and still proves to be efficient to this day.

Imagine the marriage of Western and traditional Chinese medicine, equal access to healthcare, a system that promotes stiff competition among health providers, state-of-the-art patient records and the absence of queues and gatekeepers that hinder access to specialists - then you get one of the best health care systems in the world. Overall, Taiwan's universal healthcare system is more than impressive. Their health philosophy encourages citizens to live an active lifestyle, indulge in water, aim for a balanced diet, enjoy the outdoors and embrace happiness. Placing a huge emphasis on the role of nutrition and disease prevention is truly a reflection of an advanced healthcare. Welcome to Taiwan, welcome to the land of peace of mind.

Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI)

Upon receipt of a work permit and Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), expats will automatically be included in the Natural Health Insurance System database. This calls for a monthly fee of TW$700 (US$21.89) for full coverage. Spouses and dependents can apply for coverage 4 months after the ARC is issued. Taiwan's universal healthcare system provides full coverage for a monthly fee of TW$671.52 (US$21) for unemployed citizens, TW$2,398.27 (US$75) for working parents with two children (both parents and both children are covered), self-employed for TW$1,438.96 (US$45) and average-income employees for TW$319.77 (US$10). The employer pays the remainder. The NHI also provides coverage for:

Check-ups and routine medical procedures
Prescription medicines
Non-cosmetic dental care
Vision and eye care
Emergency medicine
80% of ambulance costs
Physical therapy and rehabilitation services
Pre-natal and childbirth
Traditional Chinese medicine including medical massage, acupuncture and herbs

There is also coverage for 90% of at-home service costs, long-term hospitalization due to chronic disease (patients pay 5% for the first 30 days, then an increasing amount of the succeeding days, with a maximum out-of-pocket payment of TW$27,979.87 (US$875), regardless of duration) and all mental health care, even psychiatric medicine.

Visiting a Doctor

Taiwanese nationals and eligible expats are allowed to see a specialist without any referrals. They can also go directly to hospitals whenever they deem necessary. In this country, patients also have the flexibility to choose their family doctor or GP for preventative care, health check-ups, consultations and minor illnesses. A large number of doctors in Taiwan are capable of speaking English but most of them are working in private hospitals. Many of the medical professionals also received degrees in other countries such as United Kingdom and the United States.

Hospitals in Taiwan

Like with most Asian countries, the qualities of medical facilities in Taiwan still vary depending on the expatriate’s location. Public hospitals are not yet at par with European standards, but the quality is still acceptable, especially of those located in major cities. Private hospitals, on the other hand, are famous among the international community in Taiwan because aside from the short wait time, doctors here are more familiar with Western medicine. However, NHS doesn’t cover these private medical facilities, and the cost of treatment can be quite expensive. Some of the top private hospital choices of expats in Taiwan are: