Kathmandu. Taiwan’s National Health Insurance System (NHI) has rejected a plan to fine members who fail to pay their NHI premiums.
According to a report in the Taipei Times, the Constitutional Court has ruled that the formula for calculating fines is too stringent for crimes. Of the 8 judges of the Constitutional Court, 5 gave their verdict while 3 were absent.
Section 85 of the National Health Insurance Act empowers the government to impose penalties on insured people up to double or thrice the amount they have to pay for the first non-payment deadline. The judges said using the multiplication of the remaining amount as the only criterion for calculating fines violated due process, including the constitutional right to property and proportionality of punishment.
“The law should be amended to require regulators to take into account the circumstances surrounding missed premiums before imposing fines,” the judgment said. Until the law is amended, the Ministry of Health and Welfare must fully comply with the spirit of the court’s decision. ’
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has said that it will abide by the court’s decision and start the process of amending the Act. –Agency
