Taiwan Birth Rate and the NHI

 
And so we're in the news again. Apparently the Taiwanese aren't producing enough children. This could be quite problematic in the future. The Taiwan NHI (National Health Insurance) relies on contributions from working people to fund the medical care of the elderly and seriously ill who are not able to. In the future there will most likely be a steadily growing number of retirees taking NHI benefits with a steadily decreasing number of younger people putting money into the fund. As it is, the NHI is already in massive debt and negotiations on adjusting the contribution criteria are currently taking place in the Legislative Assembly.

On a personal note, the NHI is fantastic. Both my sons were born here and the medical expenses were... zero. On both occasions my wife was in a single room with en-suite bathroom, TV etc. In addition my second boy spent a week in hospital after his birth and again it cost me nothing. My monthly contribution amounts to R900 for the four of us together. A visit to the doctor costs 100NT (or about R25). The doctor's examination and most prescribed medication is completely covered by the NHI. Same for the dentist. Last year I was in a motorcycle accident. I was walking wounded and taken to a nearby medical centre. A shoulder and knee were x-rayed and examined. I was bandaged up, given an injection, met with a doctor and was issued with pain medication. I flashed my NHI card, paid R25 and walked staggered out.

Here's the news article from the BBC:

Taiwan seeks baby-boosting slogan

The Taiwanese authorities are offering a cash prize for a new slogan to boost the island's falling birth rate.

The interior ministry said that it wanted a creative slogan that would make people want to have babies.It said the best submission would receive a prize of one million Taiwanese dollars ($31,250, £20,763).Taiwan has already tried a number of measures to increase its birth rate, which is at a record low and still falling.Last year, Taiwan's birth-rate stood at 1.0 births per woman, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.

In 2009, the number of births fell by 3.7% from the previous year to 191,310.
"We are seeking a creative slogan that would appeal to the public and make everybody want to have children," an interior ministry statement said.Last month, the authorities announced plans to help finance fertility treatment for young couples struggling to get pregnant, in another effort to arrest the decline in births.

Taiwan is not the only country in the region trying to tackle this issue, amid fears that falling birth rates will cause social and economic problems. On Wednesday, the Japanese lower house passed legislation increasing the amount of child benefit to be paid to families in an effort to make child-rearing more affordable. And in January, South Korea's health ministry began turning out the lights early one day per month to persuade civil servants to go home and "get dedicated to childbirth and upbringing".

South Korea's plan to turn out the lights early to boost procreation had me thinking. Does Eskom management have some sinister long term strategy that has hitherto gone undetected? Or are they angling for appointments to executive positions in the Asian power grids?

 From Madam and Eve