NHI a model for the world
Taiwan deserves a place at the World Health Assembly and other WHO programs. My own recent experience in Taiwan clearly demonstrates the excellence and effectiveness of its National Health Insurance (NHI) system.
On our way to Taiwan on April 3, my wife and I were in the security line at Honolulu International Airport when she bent down to tie one of her shoelaces. A careless person pushed her down from behind, injuring her knee on the concrete. Security guards offered to call an ambulance, but we declined, since our flight was boarding soon.
After icing it down throughout the flight, she felt better upon our arrival in Taipei, but pain and swelling persisted.
On April 5, I took her to the Tri-Service General Hospital emergency room in Taipei to confirm there were no other problems with her knee. We were expecting hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for X-rays, medicine and bandaging. The total cost was NT$2,666, or just US$85.65.
This was without local health insurance, since we were American visitors!
A relative from San Jose, California, was meeting us in Taiwan. After spending a few days in Tokyo first, he had diarrhea and fainted after vomiting. He suspected it was some bad sashimi he ate in Japan and was admitted to National Taiwan University Hospital.
After intravenous rehydration, antibiotics and an overnight stay, he was discharged. He was also given brain MRI, because he had fainted. The bill was less than US$300 without local health insurance. In the US, these procedures would have easily cost thousands.
The NHI covers 99 percent of Taiwanese citizens. The premium is scaled to income (currently at 4.69 percent) and supplemented by contributions from employers and taxes. Doctor visits and hospitalization cost no more than a registration fee and copayment for prescribed medicine, excluding extraordinary procedures.
For this, the annual health spending is currently 7 percent of GDP, compared with 17 percent or more in the US.
Taiwan has long achieved the WHO’s goal of universal health coverage, while many countries, including the US, have not.
Yet how is it that Taiwan is excluded from participating in WHO programs? Inclusion of Taiwan in WHO programs not only benefits Taiwan, but also all of humanity.
Yu-Chong Lin
Honolulu, Hawaii
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.