If people over 65 years old are exempted from paying health insurance premiums, Shi Chongliang: The burden on workers will definitely increase

The Kuomintang and the Kuomintang strongly passed the draft amendment to the "Elderly Welfare Law", which exempts seniors over the age of 65 from paying health insurance premiums. This was criticized by all walks of life, and the medical community even opposed it. Executive President Zhuo Yongtai decided not to countersign the bill.

Minister of Health and Welfare Shi Chongliang said today (7th) that health insurance premium income is now mainly based on salary income. If people over 65 years old do not pay premiums, the burden on working people will definitely increase in the future.

Shi Chongliang attended the "79th Physician's Day Celebration" this afternoon. In a joint interview with the media, he was asked about the Executive Yuan not countersigning the "Old Benefit Law" amendment. He said that elderly people over 65 years old pay about 1 yuan, and the annual health insurance expenditure is 4 yuan. The gap in the middle is that other age groups share the burden.

He pointed out that in fact, the annual premium for health insurance is relatively low in the world. We hope to use these resources to focus on other people in need of help. This includes a 23.5% increase in the six major social welfare subsidies that will start in the near future, which will cost about 18 billion yuan. Including the national pension, if it is based on the version of the Executive Yuan, it will also need to be about 18 billion yuan, and the two together will be 36 billion yuan.

If people over the age of 65 are not allowed to pay health insurance premiums, the country will spend an additional 40 billion yuan a year in support. Shi Chongliang said that 40 billion yuan can take care of more disadvantaged people, including the living expenses of disadvantaged families and children in the six major social welfare subsidies, as well as the living expenses of the elderly in low- and middle-income households, as well as various new health insurance drugs, which can allow us to take care of more people, so thank you for your understanding and joint support.

Shi Chongliang also pointed out that my country's population over 65 years old has exceeded 20%, and this proportion will get higher and higher. By 2061, the number of people over 65 years old will exceed the number of workers aged 15 to 64, which is equivalent to the reversal from now. This is what we have been extremely worried about. Once people over 65 years old do not pay premiums, the burden on workers who pay premiums will definitely increase.

He also mentioned that the entire health insurance finances will have a big impact due to the demographic reversal and demographic structure reversal. Now most of the premium income is salary income, and I am afraid there will be great financial challenges by then, so we must think more comprehensively.

Shi Chongliang said that we have continued to commission experts and set up a working group, which has been going on for some time. In the future, we hope to complete discussions on various plans soon and then propose amendments to the law.