Taiwan's premier refuses to countersign a law making health insurance premiums free for most over-65s

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to Article 22 of the Senior Citizens Welfare Act on 16 October 2026 under which central government would pay National Health Insurance premiums for most people aged 65 or over. On 6 November the Executive Yuan announced that Premier Cho Jung-tai would use his constitutional power of countersignature to refuse to countersign it. Cabinet spokesperson Lee Hui-chih said more than 80% of over-65s would no longer pay premiums, at an added cost of about NT$40bn a year, and that limited public resources should go first to the economically disadvantaged rather than to universal subsidies. The cabinet also said the amendment removes the legal basis for subsidising health insurance copayments and uncovered medical costs for about 66,000 lower-income older people, adds to the economic burden on younger generations, and infringes the Executive Yuan's constitutional power to propose the budget.

The dispute combines two questions many ageing democracies face: universal age-based benefits against means-testing, and whether a legislature can create spending the executive must fund.