P-289 Reforming Worker Compensation Insurance: Inclusion of Foreign Domestic Workers and Caregivers From Taiwanese Experience

Introduction Taiwan’s worker compensation insurance has been criticized for inadequate coverage. Not all employees are eligible for insurance. Since May, 2022, Taiwan’s worker compensation insurance has been reformed, which provided wider coverage with better protection. Methods To investigate the impact of Taiwan’s worker compensation insurance reform, we carry out both qualitative and quantitative analysis. We compare insurance eligibility and insurance benefits before and after the reform, and the potential impact is discussed. To validate these potential effects, using released data from Taiwan’s worker compensation insurance, we compare insured persons, incidence of occupational injuries and illness before and after the reform. Results After the reform, all employers are required to provide worker compensation insurance to their employees. Discontinuity regression analysis shows that the number of insured employees increases significantly by time (about 16600 employees/month) and increases once after the reform (about 160000 employees), which is explained by the inclusion of foreign domestic workers and caregivers. However, their occupation injuries and diseases still rarely get compensated. The incidence rate ratios of their occupational injuries and diseases are only 0.09 (0.07-0.11) and 0.03-0.08, compared with workers from the same industry category and workers with the same gender and age. However, discontinuity regression analysis also shows that their occupation injuries and diseases get compensated more, significantly by time. Conclusion After the reform, more employees are insured by worker compensation insurance, majorly by inclusion of foreign domestic workers and caregivers. However, we have to overcome more obstacles to ensure their occupation injuries and diseases are fully compensated.