SAFETY NET: Lawmakers passed bills allowing farmers to enroll in the Occupational Injury Insurance scheme and entitling relatively wealthy farmers to public pensions
Taipei Times
Date: May 19, 2018
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter
The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed amendments to the Farmer Health Insurance Act
A farmer lights a firecracker to expel wild monkeys at a lychee farm in Pingtung County on Monday. Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
(農民健康保險條例) on third reading, extending the coverage of the Occupational Injury Insurance to about 1.16 million farmers nationwide.
The Council of Agriculture (COA), which is responsible for the act, said that it would initiate a soft launch of the improved farmers’ insurance system in November.
Citing calculations by the council, COA Deputy Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said at a committee review of the amendments earlier this month that farmers covered by the Farmers’ Health Insurance system would have to pay just an additional NT$14 (US$0.47) per month to enjoy the benefits offered by the Occupational Injury Insurance system.
Under the amendments, the insured is to shoulder 60 percent of the premium if their household registration is in one of the six special municipalities, while their local governments and the council would each pay 20 percent of the fee. [FULL STORY]
