News Reference Material
Date: December 13, 2023
1. To implement the policy of including mainland Chinese students studying for degrees in Taiwan in the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) held the "Administrative Training Workshop for School Counselors Handling the Inclusion of Mainland Chinese Students in the National Health Insurance (NHI) System" on December 12 at the Center for Public and Business Administration Education, National Chengchi University. Invitees included representatives from the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA), and National Immigration Agency (NIA), and 140 school counselors and staff members responsible for insurance enrollment for mainland Chinese students from 105 schools (including the University Entrance Committee for Mainland Chinese Students). The participants engaged in two-way exchanges on the inclusion of mainland Chinese students in the NHI.
2. Director Chang of the MAC's Department of Cultural and Educational Affairs delivered an address at the opening ceremony in the morning. She said that the government has always welcomed mainland Chinese students to study in Taiwan. Over the years, the MAC has maintained communication with relevant agencies and various sectors to promote and deliberate the inclusion of mainland Chinese students studying for degrees in Taiwan in the NHI similar to the treatment of foreign and overseas Chinese students. The ability for mainland Chinese students to enroll in the NHI now represents an important step. Chang expressed hope that the new policy could be smoothly implemented through full cooperation among cross-government agencies and schools recruiting mainland Chinese students.
3. The event opened with a briefing by the NHIA on the significance of the NHI system and the practical operations of including mainland Chinese students in the insurance scheme. In subsequent panel discussions, school representatives raised questions about eligibility, administrative timeline, and so on. The relevant agencies answered each question individually, clarifying that the expansion in coverage this time only included mainland Chinese students studying for degrees in Taiwan and not those in exchange programs. Discussions at the event were lively and enthusiastic.
4. To implement the policy of including mainland Chinese students in the NHI system on time and on quality as directed by Premier Chen, the MAC stated that it has, along with the MOE, MOHW, NHIA, NIA, and other related agencies, been carrying out a multi-channel and multi-level campaign to promote the inclusion of mainland Chinese students in the NHI system. In addition to today's training, the MOE will hold regional information meetings in northern, central, and southern Taiwan; the MAC will also help schools arrange campus symposiums on caring for mainland Chinese students. The MAC hopes that joint efforts by relevant agencies can create an even friendlier environment for mainland students studying and living in Taiwan.