To prevent existing beneficiaries of elderly benefits from applying for Farmer Insurance, and therefore making the best use of the limited resources that the government has provided to farmers, the Farmer Health Insurance Act has undergone a revision, which forbids any beneficiaries receiving elderly benefits from Labor Insurance, Government Employees' and School Staffs' Insurance, Military Insurance, or National Insurance schemes from applying for Farmer Insurance coverage, effective from February 1, 2013.
Furthermore, the government is offering one more chance for beneficiaries of elderly benefits to withdraw from Farmers' Insurance and opt for National Insurance instead if they had not done so before reaching the age of 65. The latest revision to the Farmer Health Insurance Act allows anyone who had reached the age of 65 at any time between October 1, 2008 and February 1, 2013 (i.e. persons born between October 2, 1943 and January 31, 1948) and who are eligible for the National Insurance scheme (Article 7, paragraphs 2 and 3) to withdraw from Farmer Insurance over the next 6 months, or before July 31, 2013. In doing so, the withdrawals can be back-dated to 2 days before the insured reached the age of 65, and therefore allowing a smooth transition into the National Insurance scheme.
For Farmer Insurance beneficiaries who reach the age of 65 after February 1, 2013, and have been collecting elderly benefits without enrolling in the National Insurance scheme, the application to withdraw from Farmer Insurance must be received at least 2 days before reaching the age of 65 in order to be in time to collect elderly benefits from the National Insurance scheme upon reaching 65 years in age.