Labor Insurance in Taiwan

Introduction

The government of the Republic of China established its labor insurance program in March 1950, which is the first compulsory social insurance program. Subsequently, the Craft Workers’ Insurance Program was carried out in 1951, and the Fishermen’s Insurance in 1953. However, the Government promulgated the Labor Insurance Act until 1958 and put it into effect in 1960. In the meantime, all the three separate programs were nullified. The Act was amended in 1968, 1973, 1979, 1988, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 for the purposes of expanding its coverage to more labors, offering better protection, and providing more generous benefits. Thus, the function of the Program has been successfully promoted. Since 1995 medical care for common accidents has been provided by the National Health Program. Due to the cooperation and support of the majority of employers and employees of various industries during the past forty years, the results of the Program have been quite encouraging. The success of the Program has effectively helped the Government carry out its economic development plan, resulting in a rapid economic growth, which is well known worldwide. As a consequence, more labor are covered by the program with more benefits.

In order to build up a complete labor insurance pension protection system and offer the insured person or insured person’s dependents long term living care, the government deliberates upon the opinions from all walks of life, takes Taiwan’s unique economic and social situation into consideration, and learns from the experience of advanced countries in the implementation of pension system to plan disability, old-age and survivor’s pension system, and the system has come into force on January 1, 2009. Before that, the labor insurance offered cash benefits include: maternity, injury or sickness, disability, old-age and death benefits. After the implementation of labor insurance pension program, monthly pension approach for claiming disability, old-age and death benefits have been added ,which are “old-age pension benefits”, “disability pension benefits” and “survivor pension benefits”. Through the implementation of the labor insurance pension scheme, laborers will obtain more complete labor insurance protection.

Coverage

Insured persons may participate in the program compulsorily or voluntarily. The following workers above 15 full years and below 65 years of age shall be insured under this program compulsorily:

1. Industrial workers employed by public or private factory, mine, salt field, range, pasturage, forest or tea plantation with more than five employees, as well as workers employed by a communication or transportation enterprise, or by a public utility.
2. Workers employed by a company or firm with more than five employees.
3. Employees in a journalistic, cultural, non-profit organization or cooperative enterprise with more than five persons.
4. Employees of government offices or public or private schools who are not legally entitled to join civil servants’ insurance or the insurance of teachers and employees of private schools.
5. Workers employed in fishing production.
6. Persons receiving vocational training in vocational training institutes registered with the government.
7. Members of an occupational union who have no definite employer or who are self-employed.
8. Fishermen who belong to Class A of Fishermen’s Association and are either self-employed or do not have a definite employer.

Besides workers who are insured compulsorily, employers concurrently engaged in laboring services and persons employed in enterprises with less than five employees may also participate in the program on a voluntary basis.

Insured persons in this program shall be covered via the employers, or the organizations or institutes to which they belong as the insured units.

Insurance Enrollment Procedure and Insurance Effect

1. According to Article 11 of Labor Insurance Act and Article 14 of Enforcement Rules of the Labor Insurance Act, the insured unit should file the “Insurance Coverage Application” and send to the Bureau of Labor Insurance for insurance enrollment on the day the labor reports for work, joins the association or start training courses. The insurance takes effect from the zero hour of the day the insured unit sends the coverage application to the Bureau of Labor Insurance or mail the application to the Bureau of Labor Insurance (using the post mark of the original sending post office as the reference day).
2. If the insured unit doesn’t enroll the labors in the labor insurance coverage on the day the labor reports for work, joins the association or start training courses, the insurance takes effect from the following day of the day the insured unit notify the Bureau of Labor Insurance.
3. If the worker’s position taking date is on national holidays, memorial days, weekend, the work suspension days due to natural disasters (typhoon, extremely heavy rain, etc.), or in the evening, the insured unit shall deliver or mail the insurance enrollment application and proof of employment to the insurer, and the effective date of the insurance shall commence at zero hour of the day on which the worker reports for work.
4. According to Article 72, section 1 of Labor Insurance Act, an insured unit that violates the rules of this Act and fails to enroll its employees for employment insurance in accordance with the regulations of this Act shall be fined four times the total premium from the date of hire to the day before enrollment in the said insurance or the date of employment termination. The loss thus incurred by the employees shall be compensated by the insured unit in accordance with the payment standard defined in this Act.

Insured Salary

* Definition of Insurance Salary

The monthly insurance salary of Labor Insurance should be filed based on the total amount of the insured person’s monthly salary according to the “Table of Grades of Labor Insurance Salary”.

* Timing for Insurance Salary adjustment

1. If there is a change to the insured person’s average total monthly salary, the insured unit should file the Insurance Salary Adjustment Table to inform the Bureau of Labor Insurance.
2. According to Paragraph 2 of Article 14 of the Labor Insurance Act, in case the reassessment of an insured person’s monthly insurance salary was made between February to July of the current year, the insured unit shall notify the insurer before the end of August of the current year, in case the reassessment was made between August of the current year to January of the following year, notification shall be made by the insured unit to the insurer before the end of February of the following year. The reassessed monthly insurance salary shall be effective on the first day of the month following the notification. Hence, the insured unit could see the actual needs of its business and the changes in employees’ monthly total salary to report the adjustment of the insured persons’ average monthly salary once at least every six month (February and August of each year). However, if there is a change to the insured person’s salary, the adjustment application could be reported at any time. It is not that the reassessment of insurance salary could only be done in February and August of every year.

Premium Rates

The ordinary insurance premium rate is 7.5% ~13% of the insured person’s monthly insurance salary; the insurance premium rate was 7.5% when the amendments of this Act was promulgated and enforced on July 17, 2008, three years after the new regulation is enforced, the premium rate will be increased by 0.5%. Since then, 0.5% will be added to the insurance premium rate every year until the rate reaches 10%. From the year when the insurance premium rate reaches 10%, the rate will then be increased by 0.5% every two years until the rate reaches the upper limit of 13%. However, when the balance of the insurance fund is enough to pay the benefits for the next twenty years, the insurance premium rate will not be increased. The ordinary insurance premium rate for labor insurance shall be reduced by 1% with effect from the date the Employment Insurance Act was implemented, and the premium calculation shall be based on the insurance salary for the current month. The current premium rate is 10.5%.

The current On and Off Duty Accident Premium is 0.07%,and Business Category Accident premium rates vary according to occupations, ranging from 0.04% to 0.89% of the insured person’s monthly insurance salary, as stipulated in the “Table of Business Category and Premium Applicable for the Occupational Accident of Labor Insurance” implemented from January 1st 2016, which is adjusted at least once every three year.

Since the Experience Rate System of Occupational Accident Insurance was implemented in 1996, an insured unit with more than one hundred employees shall pay premium at a rate which is readjusted every year pursuant to the increase or decrease of occupational accident benefits claimed by the insured unit. The application range extended to insured units with more than seventy employees from 2003.

Premium Sharing

In case an insured worker with a definite employer, 70 percent of the ordinary insurance premiums are paid by the employer, 20 percent by the insured worker, and 10 percent by the government. The occupational accident insurance premium is paid entirely by the employer.

Maternity Benefits

In case an insured person has childbirth occurring more than 280 days after she participates in the program or has premature labor occurring more than 181 days after she participates in the program, she is entitled to claim one lump sum of maternity benefits equivalent to two months of her average monthly insurance salary. In case of a plural birth resulting from childbirth, the payment shall be increased proportionately.

Injury or Sickness Benefits(Temporary Disability Benefits)

In case an insured person is not receiving salary payment on account of an injury or sickness for which he is under medical treatment, he is entitled to claim injury or sickness benefits beginning from the fourth day on which he is incapacitated for work.

The inpatient hospitalization benefits of ordinary injury/sickness shall be payable at the rate of 50% of the average monthly insurance salary of an insured person for the maximum period of six months. In case the insured person has at least one full year of insurance coverage prior to the occurrence of the injury or sickness, such benefits shall be payable for an additional six months.

The inpatient hospitalization benefits and outpatient medical care benefits of occupational injury/sickness shall be payable at the rate of 70% of the average monthly insurance salary. In case the injured person has not recovered from the injury or sickness after one full year, the benefits are reduced to 50% of the average monthly insurance salary for the maximum period of one year.

Permanent Disability Benefits

2. Qualification
   1. Disability pension: An insured person who has incurred injury or illness and become stabilized after treatment but unable to recover fully with further treatment, as well as diagnosed to be permanently disabled by an National Health Insurance-authorized hospital and meets the standards for receiving disability benefits or as the physical or mental disabled by the People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act, and has also been assessed to loss of lifetime working capability (meaning an individualized conforms to one of the following stipulations), may file to collect the disability pension payout.
      1. An insured person who meets the “permanent inability to work” requirement under the “Disability Conditions” column of the Disability Benefit Payment Schedule, for a total of 20 items.
      2. In filing for the disability pension, an insured person needs to be assessed with a disability level conforming to levels 1 to 7, and has also undergone the individualized professional assessment to suffer loss of working capability by 70% or more, and who also can no longer return to the workplace.
   2. Lump-sum Disability Benefits:
      1. An insured, when encountering injury or contracting disease, and upon undergoing treatment, exhibits stable symptoms, and when further treatment can no longer expect the treatment yield, who has been diagnosed by an National Health Insurance-authorized hospital as permanently disabled, and whose disability conditions conforming to the criteria stipulations of the disability benefit payout, but not yet reaching the “permanent inability to work” payout item, may file for the lump-sum disability benefits payout.
      2. An insured whose disability conditions confirming to the “permanent inability to work” payout item, and also has insured seniority prior to January 1, 2009, may also choose to file for the lump-sum benefits payout.
3. Disability Benefit Payment Schedule
   1. Labor Insurance disability benefit is issued according to Labor Insurance Disability Benefit Payment Schedule and the disability items, disability levels and payment days defined in the attached table of the Schedule.
   2. Disability item:
      According to Labor Insurance Disability Benefit Payment Schedule and its attachment, the disability types are divided depending on the part of a body which are: mental, neuropathic, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, viscera in chest and abdomen, trunk, head, face, neck, skin, upper limbs, and lower limbs, a total of 12 types, 221 disability items and 15 disability levels.
   3. The calculation of Average monthly Insurance Salary and average daily Insurance Salary:
      1. Disability Pension: it is calculated using the insured persons’ sixty highest average monthly Insurance Salary during insurance coverage years.
      2. Lump-sum disability benefits (including lump sum occupational disability benefit): It is calculated by averaging the actual monthly Insurance Salary six months before the month when the insurance accident occurred to the insured person (which is the date the insured person is diagnosed as permanently disabled); the average daily Insurance Salary is calculated by dividing the average monthly Insurance Salary by 30.
      3. For insured persons who are concurrently employed by more than two insurance coverage units, the monthly Insurance Salary for issuing benefit for ordinary accident could be jointly calculated but it shall not exceed the highest level in the “Table of Grades of Insurance Salary for Labor Insurance”, however, if the continuous insurance coverage days are less than 30 days, the wages could not be jointly considered in the calculation of Insurance Salary.
   4. Amount of benefit:
      1. Disability Pension:
         • It is calculated according to insured persons’ insurance coverage years, 1.55% of the average monthly Insurance Salary is issued for every one full year of insurance seniority. (that is Average Monthly Insurance Salary × Coverage Years × 1.55%).
         • For those amount less than NT$4,000, NT$4,000 shall be granted.
         • If the insured persons have National Pension Insurance coverage seniority, for every one full year of insurance seniority with insurance premium paid, 1.3% of the insurance amount of National Pension Insurance shall be granted (that is Monthly Insurance Amount of National Pension Insurance × Coverage Years of Insurance Premium Paid × 1.3%).
         • After combining the Labor Insurance Disability Pension Benefits and National Pension Insurance Disability Pension Benefits, if the amount is less than NT$4,000, then NT$4,000 shall be granted.
         • For those who have suffered from occupational injuries or disabled caused by occupational diseases, a lump-sum payment of 20 months occupational disability compensation shall be granted in addition to the pension.
         • For those whose insurance coverage year is less than one year, it would be calculated proportionally according to the actual insurance coverage month; for those which is less than 30 days, it shall be calculated as one month.
         • Dependent Allowances:
           • Additional Dependent Allowances: For those who apply for disability pension benefit and have spouse or dependent children who meet the following qualification, 25% of the amount calculated according to Article 53 shall be granted as dependent allowance for each dependent, a maximum of 50% will be granted.
             
             • Spouse:
               Those who meet one of the following conditions:
               (1)Spouse aged 55 or above and the marriage relationship with the insured person lasts more than one year. However, if the spouse has no capability of earning a livelihood or raising children as stipulated in the below shall not be limited by this regulation.
               (2)Spouse aged 45 or above, the marriage relationship with the insured person lasts more than one year, and the monthly income of the spouse does not exceed the first grade in Table of Grades of Insurance Salary.
             • Children:
               Those who meet one of the following conditions (For Adopted children, the adoption relationship shall last for more than 6 months):
               (1)Under age or minor children.
               (2)No capability of earning a livelihood .
               (3)Under the age of 25 and still go to school with monthly income not exceeding the first grade in Table of Grades of Insurance Salary.
           • Suspension of dependent allowances: When the dependents do not qualified for the allowance any more, the dependent allowance shall be suspended.
             • Spouse:
               (1)Remarried.
               (2)Do not meet the qualification indicated above for claiming dependent allowance by spouse.
             • Children
               Do not meet the qualification indicated above for claiming dependent allowance by children.
             • Spouse and Children
               (1)Serving sentences in a prison, or, being detained or kept in custody because of criminal offenses. (2)Disappearance.
      2. Lump-sum disability benefits: For those who suffer from general injuries or are disabled caused by general diseases, the highest disability level is the first level with the highest lump-sum disability benefits of 1,200 days and the lowest level is the fifteenth level with the lowest lump-sum disability benefits of 30 days. An extra of 50% of the original lump-sum payment shall be granted if the insured persons have occupational injuries or are disabled caused by occupational diseases, which means the highest benefit days would be 1,800 days and lowest benefit days shall be 45 days.
4. Disability Benefits Application Procedures
   1. Labor Insurance Disability Benefits Application and Payment receipts
   2. abor Insurance Disability Diagnosis Report (the insured person shall contact hospitals or clinics for diagnosing and issuing such report, the report shall be sent directly by those hospitals or clinics to Bureau of Labor Insurance within five days after it is issued, the insured persons shall send “Certificate of Proof for sending Labor Insurance Disability Diagnosis Report directly to Bureau of Labor Insurance”).
      1. For those who have eyes, ear, mastication, deglutition and speaking disability, viscera in chest and abdomen disability (functional disability), rachis deformity and moving disability, upper and lower limbs functions or skin disability, their disability diagnosis report shall be issued by national health insurance special contracted hospital, which is rated as excellence or better in Hospital Accreditation, or as qualified in Hospital Accreditation(for medical center and regional hospital), or as qualified in Hospital Accreditation and Teaching Hospital Accreditation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. However, insured persons who live in Penghu county, Kinmen county and Lienchiang county are not limited by this regulations.
      2. For those who are mentally disabled, the report shall be issued by Psychiatrists; for those who have neuropathic disability, the diagnosis report shall be issued by medical specialists from neurology, neurological surgery or rehabilitation department; for those who have bladder disability, the diagnosis report shall be issued by Urologist.
      3. Other disability type, the disability diagnosis report shall be issued by National Health Insurance special contracted hospitals or clinics.
      4. For those who are disabled outside the effective area of this Act, the diagnosis report shall be issued by the original diagnosis hospitals or clinics.
   3. Labor Insurance Disability Pension with additional Dependent Allowances Application and Payment receipts (it is limited to those who have applied pension payment and are spouse or dependent children who meet the criteria for claiming additional dependent support allowance).
   4. For those who have gone through medicinal examinations, the medicinal examination report and related pictures shall be enclosed.
   5. In cases where the insured persons are disabled by diseases or injured caused by accidents which happened during the insured person’s commute from home to work or from work to home or during business trip and apply for occupational disability benefits, the insured person shall fill in a “Certificate for evidencing that the injury was caused by an accident which occurred during the insured person’s commute period (or business trip)”
5. The following documents and certificates shall be submitted when an insured person applies for disability benefits:
6. Points for Attention
   1. An insured person filing for the disability benefits needs to present whose filing within a five-year period from the date the hospital diagnosed the individualized with permanent disability.
      
      [Explanation]: Of the Presidential Decree No. 10100279771 order announcement of the amended provision of “Article 30 of the Labor Insurance Act”, which the Article 13 of the Central Regulation Standard Act stipulates for implementation effective December 21, 2012. Also per an abstract of the Council for Labor Affairs, Executive Yuan’s directive, Reference number Labor Insurance Er Zi No. 1010140557, dated on December 26, 2012:
      1. Following the foresaid provision amendment takes effect, the insurance payout requesting right shall be implemented per the post-amendment regulations, where the valid time of the requesting right is set to 5 years.
      2. At the time when the provision amendment takes effect on December 21, 2012, the valid time of individuals whose requesting right has not exceeded 2 years, in a bid to safeguard the claimant’s insurance payout equity, is to be heed to the post-amendment regulations, and the requesting right is to cease to exist over a five-year period from the eligible fling date due to the non-exercise of the requesting right.
      3. Prior to the article amendment takes effect on December 21, 2012, individuals who have not filed for an application exceeding two years of whose insurance payout requesting right, or who have been declined of the payout by the bureau due to the valid time, due to the non-retroactive legal principle, shall heed to the pre-amendment regulation, and the insurance payout requesting right shall cease to exist over a two-year period for non-exercise of the requesting right.
   2. If the insured persons are still in treatment for the disability and the symptoms are not stable, it is advised not to apply for disability benefit under such condition.
   3. Of an insured being reviewed with a disabled status conforming to the “permanent inability to work” payout item who collects the disability payout, or an insured upon undergoing the individualized professional assessment as loss of lifetime working capability who claims the “disability pension payout”, the individualized shall be cancelled of whose insurance by the Labor Insurance Bureau, effective from the date the individualized has been diagnosed with permanent disability.
   4. Of insured people with a disability level falling under the “permanent inability to work” payout item, or having undergone the individualized professional assessment as losing lifetime working capability who claim the “disability pension payout”, an individualized who concurrently holds the eligibility for filing for the disability benefits and the old age benefits may choose to collect one of the payout schemes.
   5. An insured person who has been reviewed with the “Disability Conditions” column of the Disability Benefits Payment Schedule has enlisted of “permanent inability to work”, may collect the disability pension payout by month. However, individuals with insured seniority prior to January 1, 2009 may also choose to collect the lump-sum disability benefits. The insured person shall select the scheme stringently, as it can no longer be changed once the Bureau of Labor Insurance approves and releases the payout.
   6. For those who claim for disability pension benefit due to occupational diseases or injuries, a lump-sum of 20 months occupational disability compensation would be issued additionally.
   7. If the insured person’s body was originally disabled partially, and the partial disability was aggravated or different body part was disabled by diseases or injuries, the issuance of disability benefit shall consider the degree of disability aggravated and calculate the disability benefits according to disability benefit payment schedule and its attached tables. However, the combined disability shall not exceed the payment schedule for first level disability.
   8. If the insured person has claimed disability benefits due to partial disability on his/her body parts and the degree of disability was aggravated again due to diseases or injuries, and has selected to claim for a lump-sum disability benefits, the amount which already issued shall be deducted from the new benefit payment; however, if the insured person has selected monthly pension payment, then 80% of the disability pension amount shall be issued monthly until the half of the original lump-sum disability payments for partial disability has been completely deducted.
   9. If the insured persons who have applied for disability pension benefit and later found themselves not qualified for the benefits, they shall submit related documents and inform the Bureau of Labor Insurance within 30 days after they found out the fact and the pension payments shall be terminated in the next month after the fact was realized

Old-Age Benefits

1. Qualification
   After the enforcement of Labor Insurance Pension on January 1, 2009, there are three types of payment for old-aged benefits: 1. Old-age pension benefits 2. Lump-sum old-age benefits 3. One-time old-age benefits. Only the persons who have labor insurance coverage seniority before December 31, 2008 could select to have one time old-age benefits; For those who have participated in labor insurance for the first time after the enforcement of labor insurance pension on January 1, 2009 could not select one-time old-age benefits. The above benefit type could not be changed once the payment is approved and issued by the Bureau of Labor Insurance.
   
   1. Old-Age Pension Benefits:
      The insured person could claim for old-age pension benefits if he/she meets one of the following conditions:
      1. An insured person whose insurance coverage reached over fifteen years, and who is at least sixty years of age and has resigned from work and withdrawn from insurance coverage.
      2. An insured person who has worked in dangerous, physical hard labor, or work of special character for more than fifteen years, and who is at least fifty-five years of age and has resigned from work and withdrawn from insurance coverage.
          
   2. Lump-Sum Old-Age Benefits:
      An insured person whose insurance coverage years are less than fifteen years and is at least sixty years of age and has resigned from work and withdrawn from insurance coverage.
      ◎The age thresholds for claiming the aforementioned old-age pension benefits and lump-sum old-age benefits shall be gradually raised, up to the age of 65.
      Age thresholds for claiming old-age pension benefits and lump-sum old-age benefits:Year of birth1957 and before19581959196019611962 and afterLegal age606162636465
   3. One-Time Old-age Benefits:
      If the insured person has insurance coverage before the enforcement of Labor Insurance Act on January 1, 2009 and meets one of the following conditions, he/she could choose to claim one time old-age benefits:
      1. An insured person at least sixty years of age or a female insured person at least fifty-five years of age who has been insured for at least one year and resigns from work.
      2. An insured person whose insurance coverage reached over fifteen, who is at least fifty-five years of age and resigns from work.
      3. An insured person who has been insured in the same insured unit for over twenty-five year and resigns from work.
      4. An insured person whose insurance coverage reached over twenty-five years, who is at least fifty years of age and resigns from work.
      5. An insured person who has been employed for more than five year in dangerous, physical hard labor, or work of special character and who is at least fifty-five years of age and resigns from work.
      6. The insured persons who have transferred to the Military Personnel Insurance, the Civil Servant and Teacher Insurance, and who have resigned and keep their labor insurance seniority pursuant to Article 76 of Labor Insurance Act.
          
2. Payment Standards
   1. Old-age Pension Benefits:
      The insured person could select the better one from the following two methods.“Average Monthly Insurance Salary” is calculated by averaging the highest 60 months of Insurance Salary during the insurance coverage years.
      1. Average Monthly Insurance Salary × Coverage Years × 0.775% + NT$3,000
      2. Average Monthly Insurance Salary × Coverage Years × 1.55%
      • For those who wish to claim for old-age pension benefits in advance of the qualification age, the upper limit for the advance year is 5 years. For every one year of advancement, 4% of the old-age pension benefits would be deducted; the upper limit is 5 years of advance which is 20% deduction.
      • For those who wish to postpone the claiming of their old-age pension benefits, 4% extra of the old-age pension benefits would be added; the upper limit is 20% extra for postponing the claiming of old-age pension benefits.
   2. Lump-Sum Old-Age Benefits:
      For every one full year of insurance coverage, one month of average monthly Insurance Salary would be issued. For the insurance converge less than one year, it would be calculated by the actual month proportionally; for the insurance coverage less than 30 days, it would be counted as one month. For insurance coverage after 60 years of age, five years would be the maximum to be included in the insurance coverage.
      
      “Average Monthly Insurance Salary” is calculated by averaging the highest 60 months of Insurance Salary during the insurance coverage years.
   3. One Time Old-age Benefits:
      For every one full year of insurance coverage, one month of average monthly Insurance Salary would be issued; should the total insurance coverage is more than 15 years, for the part which is more than 15 years, 2 month of average monthly insurance would be issued for every one extra year of insurance coverage, and the highest limit is 45 months. If the insured person is more than 60 years of age and continue to work, the insurance coverage after 60 years of age would be counted as five years for the maximum. The highest limit is 50 months if combining the one-time old-age benefits before and after 60 years of age.
      
      For the insurance converge less than one year, it would be calculated by the actual months proportionally; for the insurance coverage less than 30 days, it would be counted as one month.
      The “Average monthly Insurance Salary” is calculated by averaging the actual month Insurance Salary starting from 3 years before the month the insured person withdraws from insurance coverage.
       
3. Application Procedure If the insured person is qualified for claiming old-age benefits, the following documents shall be submitted in application:
   1. Old-age Benefits Application and Payment Receipts.
   2. For those without household registry in Taiwan, personal identification should be submitted. For example:
      1. Valid personal identity documents issued by the government of the Republic of China such as resident certificates, etc.
      2. Foreign passport and its Chinese translation. Both the original document and the Chinese translation have to be notarized by the R. O. C. embassies, consulates, representative offices, liaison offices or other bodies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Chinese translation, if not notarized, may be authenticated by the court or by a notary public.
   3. For those who resigned from dangerous, hard labor or work of special character type of jobs, documents evidencing their type of job shall be attached.
   4. For those who have transferred to the Military Personnel Insurance or the Civil Servant and Teacher Insurance and resigned, the documents with the insurance transferring date which proving they have claimed Retirement payment according to Act of Insurance for Military Personnel or Retirement Benefit according to Civil Servants Insurance Act shall be presented.
4. Points for Attention
   1. Once the application for old-age benefits has been approved and issued by the Bureau of Labor Insurance, it could not be changed .
       
   2. Please fill in the “Retirement date” of Old-age Benefits application form accurately; the date should be the last working day for the insured person before retirement.
   3. If the insured person has withdrawn from the insurance coverage, the insurance unit could be not putting its seal on the application form for old-age benefits for the insured person.
   4. When applying for the old-age benefits, please carefully select the payment method. The applicant should confirm the selection by signing on the application form in person.
   5. For those who have claimed old-age benefits, they could not join labor insurance again. However, if they are employed again, they could join occupational accident insurance according to laws and regulations.
   6. The application form for old-age benefits could be pickup in the Bureau of Labor Insurance and its local offices ; it could also be downloaded from the website of the Bureau of Labor Insurance.
       
   7. For those who claim old-age benefits before the qualification age, the deduction ratio of the amount of pension which is deducted would not be changed .
       
   8. If the insured person’s total coverage years in original insurance unit plus the years of insurance coverage through entrusting a group according to the regulation in Article 9-1 of Labor Insurance Act or using personal as insurance unit are more than 25 years, it could be treated as joining the same insurance unit for claiming old-age benefits.

Occupational Accident Medical Benefits

Medical benefits for ordinary injury or sickness are covered by the National Health Insurance program, while medical costs from occupational accidents are paid by the labor insurance program. In order to make medical services easily accessible to workers, the Bureau of Labor Insurance has commissioned the National Health Insurance Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare to handle related administrative services in specially contracted medical institutions, including the management, medical cost reports, and reviews of health insurance business. An insured worker suffering from occupational injury or sickness can receive medical treatment in any hospital specially contracted by the National Health Insurance Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare provided that he presents the outpatient request form or hospitalization application form issued by his insured unit, National Health Insurance Card and personal identification documents. The insured worker is exempted from part of the medical costs, and the insurance medical costs are reported to and paid by the National Health Insurance Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare on behalf of the Bureau of Labor Insurance. In addition, free medical check-ups are offered to workers to prevent and treat occupational diseases in the early stage.

Source: Bureau of Labor Insurance