FOREIGN STUDENTS, INCL. CHINESE, TO PAY NHI PREMIUM|陸生納健保全額自付 港澳僑生不滿保費跟漲

The government is currently studying how to amend the National Health Insurance Act to incorporate Chinese students into the national health insurance program. It plans to require all foreign students to pay the full premium amount for themselves. However, several student organizations opposed it, saying this will increase the financial burden on foreign students and calling the plan "fake equality." Students from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China held up signs to protest against the government's plan to raise national health insurance premiums for foreign students once Chinese students are incorporated into the NHI system. ==FAN TSUN-LONG Hong Kong Student== These overseas students have to pay the premium. In fact, only a small amount was used, which was 53 percent. Mr. Fan, a student from Hong Kong, said overseas students from Hong Kong and Macau currently pay a monthly premium of NT$749, with the government subsidizing NT$500. Taiwan had 30,000 foreign students in 2015, which means the government received over NT$200 million in insurance premiums. Of that amount, only 53 percent was actually used, with the remainder going to the NHI fund.The government intends to amend laws to incorporate Chinese students, who currently pay NT$500 for the commercial insurance, into the NHI system with overseas students from Hong Kong and Macau. The plan requires them to pay a monthly premium of NT$1,249. Student organizations said the government's plan is "fake equality," which will only make the financial burden on students heavier. ==OUNG KANG WEI Malaysian Student== Our tuition is around NT$50,000 to NT$60,000. The increase on the premium will be a huge burden on us. For us, working part-time can not exceed 20 hours per week. To a large extent, our families have to shoulder the financial burden. ==CHANG YU Chinese Student== We used to pay NT$500 for the commercial insurance per month. The increase of the premium (if the law is passed) will be around NT$9,000 a year. This amounts to almost 2-monthly rent for me. Besides, due to the current restrictions, we can't work part-time. (which will increase the financial burden) Chang, a Chinese student, said Chinese students cannot work part-time in Taiwan and are not covered by the National Health Insurance. This means basic medical procedures such as teeth cleaning or getting painkillers cost around NT$1,900, a huge burden on them. He advised the government to raise Chinese students' premiums based on the number of procedures instead of nationality. TRANSLATED BY：BRYANT CHANG 陸生納保議題，政府研擬要修「全民健保法」，未來要讓陸生比照僑外學生，納入健保體系，但整體境外學生的保費，都應該全額自付。但有學生團體反對這樣的做法，認為這會加重境外學生的經濟負擔，是假的平等。 來自台灣，以及香港、大陸等境外學生，一起拿著標語，反對政府決定將陸生納入健保後，調高全體境外生保費的修法方向。 ==香港學生 樊俊朗== 這些境外學生 繳了那個健保的費用 其實根本就沒有用到那麼多 （使用)只占了我們繳的 總額53%而已 從香港來台就讀的樊同學表示，港澳僑外生，目前每個月保費749元、政府補助500元，以2015年為例，3萬多名境外生，自付保費收入，就超過2億元，一整年下來，也只使用53%，剩下都回流到健保基金。 但現在修法方向，是要讓港澳僑外生，和每個月負擔大約500元商業保險的陸生，都納入健保範圍，但全部一起調漲保費為1249元，學生團體直呼，這種假平等，只會加重學生負擔。 ==境外生權益小組 馬來西亞學生 黃康偉== 我們大概學費 5萬到6萬左右 這樣子 健保法調漲 對我們來說負擔很重 那我們工讀時數 其實也很低 一星期不可以工作超過20個小時 所以我們很大的程度上 經濟來源的負擔 都是來自於家裡(協助) ==大陸學生 張郁== 我們之前的商業保險 每個月只有500元 換算下來(若修法通過) 這些多繳納的保費 一年有將近9000元 已經快相當於 我兩個月的房租了 而且陸生因為現行的法案限制 無法打工(經濟負擔加重) 陸生張同學表示，陸生在台無法打工，在沒有納入健保的情況下，看牙醫光是洗牙、拿止痛藥等基本療程，就要花1900元，負擔很大。建議政府在考量陸生納保、調漲健保費同時，應該按照量能原則，而非以國籍為主。 記者 曹晏郡 應磊奇 台北報導