Taiwan's Yunlin County will pay the national health insurance premium for eligible county residents aged 65 and older beginning 1 January 2027, according to a statement by County Magistrate
Ms Chang Li-shan.
A news report in Taiwan News quoted the County magistrate saying that falling debt ratio has created room to expand welfare benefits for older residents. The report said the county government will submit a budget of more than NT$900m ($28m) to the County Council for review. It is estimated that about 143,000 residents could benefit from the programme if the Council approves the funding.
Ms Chang Li-shan said the county had reduced its debt by more than NT$10bn in recent years. Its debt ratio had fallen from 49.87% to 15.89%, giving the county government greater financial flexibility to expand social welfare programmes.
Ms Chang Li-shan said Yunlin has paid national health insurance premiums since 2024 for several groups of residents aged 65 and older, including people with moderate disabilities, financially disadvantaged residents and individuals aged 100 or older. She said that the proposed programme would expand the benefit to all older residents who meet the county’s eligibility requirements.
Yunlin County Council Speaker Huang Kai said councillors across party lines have supported measures to improve care for older residents. He said the Council would support the proposed budget during the review process.