Taiwan approves health insurance for migrant workers

The insurance plan specially covers those who are infected with COVID-19.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has approved a COVID-19 health insurance plan for migrant workers.

The insurance plan will cover hospitalisation costs within the 30-day period after arrival in Taiwan if they are infected by COVID-19. However, employers will have to obtain written consent from migrant workers to buy health insurance for them before they enter the country.

The insurance plan is said to be the first designed specifically for new migrant workers. It was developed by Fubon Insurance Co, as Taiwan’s response to reopening its borders for workers from other countries. 

According to Tsai Huo-yen, chief secretary of the FSC's Insurance Bureau, the FSC had asked the Non-life Insurance Association of the Republic of China to coordinate with its members to devise an insurance plan that will cover up to NT$500k in hospitalisation costs for migrant workers confirmed as having an imported COVID-19 infection.

Currently, the costs and other medical treatment fees for migrant workers arriving with COVID-19 infections are paid by Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC). However, Tsai said this will be continued soon.

Apart from Fubon Insurance, five others had submitted similar insurance plans for approval.