Department of Health, Taipei City Government

　　From time to time, the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) has received feedback from the parents of newborns indicating that they were unable to complete household registration and NHI enrollment by the deadline because it takes a long time to determine an auspicious name for their newborn. These parents have requested that the BNHI extend the grace period during which newborns are allowed to use the NHI IC cards of their parents for medical services. To accommodate to this request, and in view of the recent amendment of Article 48 of the Household Registration Law, which extended the deadline for birth registration from 30 days to 60 days, the BNHI has agreed to extend the grace period from 31 days to 60 days after the date of birth. Newborns who have not yet completed household registration and NHI enrollment shall be allowed access to NHI medical services using the NHI IC cards of their parents within the extended period.

　　According to the BNHI, 94% of the parents managed to complete the household registration and NHI enrollment procedures for the newborns within the 60 day extended grace period. The remaining parents did not complete NHI enrollment until they received the relevant reminders or guidance from the BNHI.

　　BNHI Urges Parents of Newborns to Complete Household Registration and NHI Enrollment as Soon as Possible. The BNHI calls upon all parents of newborns to proactively complete the household registration and NHI enrollment procedures within 60 days in order to obtain an NHI IC card for their newborns. This way, the newborns will have access to the medical services with their own NHI IC cards. Parents who have not completed the NHI enrollment by the deadline shall be required to pay for the medical expenses of the newborns out-of-pocket and make a claim for reimbursement to the BNHI at a later date, after they have completed the enrollment procedures. This will cause many inconveniences for the related parties.

Source: Bureau of National Health Insurance, Department of Health, R.O.C.(Taiwan)