If you've searched the internet for private medical insurance that covers expats in Taiwan then you are probably for looking for established UK based health insurance providers that can cover your medical expenses in Taiwan.
Living as an expat in Taiwan you want to avoid any nasty unexpected medical costs. In some countries these can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds for very serious medical conditions.
Our advice when looking for private medical cover that covers expatriates living in Taiwan is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is very complicated and if you want complete certainty that Taiwan is covered by your policy you should consult with a medical insurance broker who can explain which providers will cover medical expenses for expatriates in Taiwan and which will not.
There are many advantages to using a broker but the largest by far is that you're using their industry experience at no cost. They are paid by the insurer (Aviva or Bupa etc) rather than by you so it costs you no extra to use their services.
- Do you reside in many different postcodes? Some will give you a cheaper policy premium than offers. A broker will be able to advise whats best.
- Do you have a hobby that may invalidate your insurance claim? A broker will know this vital information.
- If you are a couple and one of you has claimed on your insurance policy this year would it be cheaper to separate you both onto two different policies?
- You've lean't you're at risk of developing a certain condition and want to know which insurer offers the largest amount of cover for it. A broker will know this instantly saving you huge amounts of time and effort.
You can call around every medical insurance provider on the market and ask if they provider cover for expats in Taiwan, however this will be a very time consuming process. Each insurer will ask for your medical history because its not normally a simple yes or not if a medical condition is covered or not.
Its much quicker to speak to one health insurance broker which will know which providers on the market offer cover for expats in Taiwan and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Taiwan Information
Tourism in Taiwan is one of the major industries and contributor to the economy of Taiwan. In 2015, Taiwan received roughly 10 million international visitors. Tourism affairs are managed by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of Taiwan.
There has been a surge in tourism numbers noticeably around election time in Taiwan, especially tourists from China. However, tourists from China have declined significantly since President Tsai Ing-Wen took office in 2016. Tsai is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, which the governing Communist Party of China opposes. Therefore, the Chinese government has reduced the number of travel visas issued to its citizens to visit Taiwan.
In 2015, 87% of Taiwanese had domestic travel for their tourism activities, in which the Kenting National Park became their most favorite destination. They spent an average of NT$9,323 per capita for each vacation, which was mainly for accommodation expenditure.
The 2013 annual income for Taiwan from tourism-related industries topped at NT$366.8 billion (US$12.3 billion), an increase of 4.7% from the previous year. The average daily spending of each tourist in 2013 was US$224.07, a decrease of 4.37% from the previous year.
Taiwan has yet to nominate possible inscriptions in any UNESCO networks, such as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, World Heritage List, World Network of Biosphere Reserves, Creative Cities Network, and Global Geoparks Network, due to China's rejection of the country's entrance to UNESCO. However, in order make use of the conservation concepts achieved by the UNESCO networks, the Bureau of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture began in 2002 to compile a list of potential world heritage sites in Taiwan with currently 18 entries.
Tourists mainly arrive by air and Taoyuan International Airport serves as the most popular airport bringing international tourists into Taiwan as it is the largest airport in Taiwan and important regional hub. Other major airports in Taiwan which facilitate international visitors include Kaohsiung International Airport servicing southern Taiwan, Taichung Airport servicing central Taiwan and Taipei Songshan Airport servicing central Taipei.