During the summer vacation, many families plan to travel abroad. Xiao Zhen (pseudonym) is preparing for a nearly 30-day-long journey. Since she employs a caregiver to look after her elderly family members, she worries that she might miss paying health insurance fees on time during her trip, which could result in late payment penalties. The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) recommends that employers use financial institutions to set up automatic deductions for health insurance payments, solving this problem with hassle-free, fee-free automatic deductions each period.
NHIA Southern Region Operations Division Chief Lin Chun-mei mentioned that in the Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan areas, around 24,000 employers hire foreign caregivers, and over 80% of them usually wait for the insurance bill before going to banks or convenience stores to pay. Summer heat and additional fees of NT$5 for paying at convenience stores add to the hassle. If employers are traveling or busy, forgetting to pay could result in penalties. Choosing automatic deduction through financial institutions not only saves fees but also allows easy tracking of payment records.
Chief Lin reminded me that setting up automatic deductions for health insurance fees is straightforward. Employers need only bring the payment slip, ID, passbook, and account stamp to any bank or post office nationwide. The process takes about 45 to 60 days to take effect. The financial institution will then deduct the payment on the final day of the grace period for each billing cycle (around the 15th, or the next business day if it's a holiday).
For more information, you can contact the NHIA service hotline at 0800-030-598 or dial 02-4128-678 if calling from a mobile phone.
