(FWA 2026/9/4)President Lai Ching-te announced on August 27 that to encourage the public to proactively establish healthy lifestyle habits, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) will officially launch Taiwan’s Health Coin program in October. Through a reward mechanism, the program aims to integrate health behaviors into daily life and collaboratively build an ecosystem for universal health promotion. It is officially confirmed that the program is available to all foreigners with NHI.
Regarding the specific plans for the policy, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang explained after the meeting that the accumulation of Health Coins will officially begin on October 1, coinciding with the rollout of this year’s flu vaccine, and points will not be calculated retroactively. In its initial phase, the policy will focus on health behaviors with clear scientific causal links, such as vaccinations, cancer screenings, and adult health checkups, to encourage early disease detection.
As for the redemption mechanism, the MOHW has allocated a budget to build an accumulation and redemption platform, integrating participation from private channels. The point redemption ratio at convenience stores and supermarkets will generally be “1 point for NT$1,” which can be used for discounts or food items. For other partner channels, such as life insurance companies, pharmacies, and hospitals, the redemption ratios and diverse services will vary depending on the businesses and products. Some self-paid health checkups and vaccines will also be eligible for redemption. Collaborations with sports venues are currently under negotiation, including fee discounts and trial voucher redemptions.
Health Promotion Administration (HPA) Director-General Shen Ching-fen also detailed the Health Coin planning during the meeting. The program is open to individuals aged 18 and above. Once 1,000 coins are accumulated, they can be redeemed for goods or services. The point value is priced differentially based on incentive effects and health benefits—the higher the benefit, the higher the coin value. The implementation is divided into two phases:
Phase 1 (Coins for Action): Points are awarded for one-time health behaviors with clear government records, including lifestyle assessments, adult health checkups, cancer screenings, and vaccinations. For example, a 42-year-old female who completes a health assessment, an adult health checkup, and eligible cancer and Hepatitis B/C screenings can accumulate up to 3,800 Health Coins.
Future Phase 2 (Goal Achievement Rewards): The focus will shift from single health behaviors to continuous habit formation. This phase will expand to include physical activity recorded via wearable devices or apps, self-paid and worker health examinations, Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) assessments, and meeting control targets for blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids.
Regarding system operation, the public will use the “My Health Bank” section within the “NHI App” as the portal for identity verification, linking to the “Health GO” App for point redemption and personalized health management. In the next phase, plans are in place to allow the public to redeem health services directly by inserting their NHI cards at medical institutions without needing to use the app, further lowering the digital threshold.
In an interview on September 1, Shih Chung-liang also mentioned that because Health Coins are linked to My Health Bank, anyone with an NHI card can download the app and participate in point accumulation. Since many health behaviors require long-term commitment, the points will be valid for 2 years, encouraging continuous public engagement.
Below is a structured summary of the officially released information. Let’s learn how to participate and accumulate Health Coins:
What is the Health Coin?
The Health Coin is a value-based reward mechanism launched by the Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare. As long as you possess a Taiwan NHI card, you can accumulate digital points through good health behaviors such as daily exercise, getting vaccinated, and undergoing health checkups. These points can be redeemed for health products, medical services, or sports courses at partner channels.
Who Can Participate?
Core Condition: Aged 18 and above, and holding a Taiwan NHI card.
Eligible Participants: As long as you have successfully obtained an NHI card, foreigners—including New Immigrants, foreign and overseas Chinese students, or migrant workers—are all eligible to participate.
How to Accumulate Health Coins?
Phase 1: Coins for Action (One-time / Single Behavior Rewards)
System Login and Assessment: Logging into the Health Coin section via My Health Bank for the first time (200 coins); completing the lifestyle assessment questionnaire (100 coins).
Preventive Healthcare Services (based on NHI-covered age regulations): Adult preventive health services (800 coins); Hepatitis B and C screening (800 coins).
Publicly Funded Cancer Screenings (based on NHI-covered age regulations): Breast cancer (1,000 coins); Colorectal cancer (900 coins, 1,350 coins if colonoscopy is performed); Cervical cancer (900 coins); Oral cancer (1,000 coins); Lung cancer (1,000 coins).
Vaccinations: Flu vaccine (450 coins); COVID-19 vaccine (900 coins); Pneumococcal vaccine (600 coins).
How to Use and Redeem Health Coins?
Redemption Threshold: The minimum threshold is 1,000 coins (earning the initial 300 coins upon first login and questionnaire completion makes this easily achievable).
Point Validity: During the initial two-year promotional period, the points will be valid for 2 years.
Redemption Channels and Partners:
Convenience Stores & Supermarkets: Redeem for foods with healthy labels or health promotion services.
Medical Institutions / Pharmacies: Discount pharmacy purchases, health products, or medical services (some institutions will allow direct NHI card redemption in the future without opening the App).
Sports Venues: Discount admission fees for sports facilities and sports courses.
Step-by-Step Guide (How to Check and Use)
Download and log into the NHI App (健保快易通 App).
Click on the “Health Coin” (健康幣) section on the homepage of My Health Bank (健康存摺).
Fill in your information and agree to participate upon your first visit to start accumulating points (accumulation officially begins on October 1 and is not retroactive).
Once the point threshold is reached, you can navigate to the Health GO App for prize draws or multi-channel redemptions.
