Taipei City Government

As Team Taipei marks its 3rd anniversary in office, the Taipei City Government Department of Health continues to prioritize protecting citizen’s health by advancing multiple policies that address the needs of residents—from pediatric care and vaccinations to senior health and advance medical autonomy—progressively implementing a more supportive healthcare environment. The city has also been honored with the CommonHealth Magazine Sustainable Healthy City Award for three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025. 

Expanded Pediatric Medical Subsidies: Uninterrupted Care Across Regions

The Taipei City Pediatric Medical Subsidy Program currently includes approximately 300 contracted medical institutions. Since its launch in 1995, the program has been continuously refined in response to children’s evolving healthcare needs, gradually expanding coverage from general pediatric populations to include children from low-income households, families in special circumstances, as well as children with major illnesses and rare diseases. In 2024, the program was further expanded to cover premature infants with extremely low birth weight, and beginning in 2025, eligibility requirements for guardians of general pediatric beneficiaries were further relaxed.

Recognizing frequent cross-regional medical visits within the Taipei-Keelung-Taoyuan metropolitan area, Taipei City has opened the program to contracted medical institutions located in other counties and cities. This measure ensures that Taipei-registered children continue to receive medical subsidies when seeking medical care outside the city, thereby further enhancing continuity of care, accessibility, and protection of children’s healthcare rights. In addition to subsidizing outpatient and emergency registration fees, copayments, and hospitalization expenses, the program also provides health and safety consultations, assisting parents and caregivers in understanding key aspects of child healthcare and safety.

NT$100 Per-Dose Vaccination Service Fees: Working with Medical Professionals for Greater Peace of Mind

Medical institutions administering routine childhood vaccinations must not only manage vaccination schedules but also carefully comfort young children. To encourage contracted medical institutions to continue providing pediatric vaccination services, starting in 2026, Taipei will provide NT$100 per dose in vaccination service fees to contracted institutions administering publicly funded routine vaccines to children aged 0–6 registered in Taipei.

Currently, there are nine types of publicly funded routine childhood vaccines, totaling 19 doses required before school entry. The completion rate for publicly funded routine vaccines among children aged 0–6 in the city has increased from 94.1% in 2019 to 97.8% in 2024. By providing enhanced subsidies for vaccination service fees to contracted institutions, Taipei is working alongside healthcare professionals to safeguard children’s health.

Full Subsidy for Shingles Vaccine for High-Risk Seniors

Shingles (commonly known as “skin snake”) is caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which initially manifests as chickenpox. After the initial infection, the virus remains dormant in the dorsal root ganglia or cranial sensory ganglia. As people age or experience decreased immunity, the virus may reactivate as shingles, causing painful blistering rashes, and some patients may develop postherpetic neuralgia.

To protect vulnerable high-risk seniors from related pain and complications, starting September 1, 2025, Taipei will provide full subsidies for two doses of the shingles vaccine to indigenous residents aged 55 and above or seniors aged 65 and above who are registered in Taipei and meet both criteria: “low-income or middle-low-income household status” and “possess a serious illness card, are HIV-infected, or have asplenia.” Eligible individuals may schedule vaccinations at Taipei City Hospital’s Zhongxiao, Renai, Zhongxing, Heping, Yangming, Women and Children’s, Linsen, and Kunming branches.

Advance Decision (AD) Signings Rank First Nationwide: Enhanced Subsidies Expand Services for Vulnerable Groups

Following the implementation of the Patient Autonomy Act, efforts have continued to deepen public understanding of advance medical decisions. As of the end of November 2025, the city has 24 advance medical consultation institutions providing services. From 2019 through November 2025, 40,000 people signed up, ranking first nationwide for consecutive years.

Taipei also pioneered the use of Senior EasyCard subsidies of NT$800 to help seniors complete consultations and provides full subsidies for individuals with physical or mental disabilities, serious illnesses, or rare diseases, as well as users of Integrated Post-Acute Care programs and long-term care day services. This represents one of the nation’s few enhanced ACP subsidy measures. Taipei has further expanded the subsidy scope to include registered solitary seniors and homeless individuals, reducing the burden on vulnerable groups and enabling more citizens to complete their advance medical decisions.

Over the past 3 years, the Department of Health has progressively strengthened initiatives in pediatric care, vaccinations, senior protection, and medical autonomy, providing greater support to citizens. Looking ahead, as the city faces demographic changes and new public health challenges, Team Taipei will continue advancing and refining these policies to make Taipei a city where residents feel secure in their daily lives.