Non-farm association member farmers enrolling in the third category of health insurance may be relaxed, premiums could be halved

Currently, farmers with farmers' association membership qualifications who are enrolled in the National Health Insurance pay NT$336 per month in premiums, while agricultural workers without farmers' association membership are classified as district population and must pay NT$749 per month in health insurance premiums, more than double that of farmers' association members. To improve this situation, the Council of Agriculture recently gave advance notice of amendments to the "Standards for Recognition and Qualification Review Measures for Persons Actually Engaged in Agricultural Work Applying to Participate in the National Health Insurance", stipulating that agricultural workers who undergo an on-site inspection by the farmers' association and are confirmed to be actually and steadily engaged in agricultural work can enjoy the same health insurance premium rate as farmers' association members.

Following the Council of Agriculture's mid-July announcement of amendments to the "Qualification Review Measures for Farmers Participating in Farmers' Insurance"Category 3 health insurance enrollment qualifications, that is, enjoy the same health insurance premium rate as farmers' association members

In addition, the newly revised review measures also remove the restriction that one must have farmed for a full year before becoming eligible for Category 3 health insurance enrollment, and also relax the rules so that agricultural workers need only complete a land lease through the Farmland Bank

Chou Jo-nan, deputy director of the Council of Agriculture's Guidance Department, gave an example: for those who lease land to farm because of the small-landlord-large-tenant-farmer policy, every county and city government has a list, so farmers do not necessarily have to obtain a court-notarized contract; as long as the farmers' association is willing to come forward and confirm the fact that they farm, they can also obtain Category 3 health insurance enrollment qualifications.

The Council of Agriculture also relaxed the rules for agricultural workers who lawfully use agricultural land or forest land of government agencies, public schools or state-owned enterprise institutions, with an average area of 0.4 hectares or more per person, and other agricultural land with an average area of 0.2 hectares or more per person; they need only present documents proving lawful use rights and agricultural operation to obtain Category 3 health insurance enrollment qualifications.

Chou Jo-nan gave an example: many forest farmers apply to government or school units such as National Taiwan University for land management. In the future, these forest farmers need only obtain a forest tree custody certificate issued by the relevant unit; the two parties do not necessarily have to sign a contract, and it can serve as proof of qualification for Category 3 health insurance enrollment.

Those whose farmland leases are oral contracts still find it difficult to obtain Category 3 health insurance enrollment qualifications