Expats’ Huge Hospital Bill Shows Taiwan’s Law Needs Changing: Lawyer

The News Lens
Date: 2016/08/22
By: Edward White

As a flood of donations pours in, a Taiwanese legal commentator says the law excluding the newborns of foreigners in Taiwan from immediate insurance coverage needs changing.

An expat couple’s shock NT$1.3 million (US$41,000) hospital bill in Taiwan shows the insurance laws for newborns of foreign residents need changing, a lawyer says.

Erica Brüll-Reinhold and Bas Brüll’s twin girls were born prematurely and undersize on July 12, and following almost a month of health complications and surgery the twins were ready to leave the hospital.

The couple initially paid their hospital bill under Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) policy, which gives newborns coverage via the mother’s health insurance for the first two months.     [FULL  STORY]