The director of the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said that the "direction and main principles" of a decision that will raise by up to several hundred percent the fee paid by patients for hospital out-patient treatment will not change, although the decision is not yet finalized.
"Although a part of the proposal is still under consideration, the direction and main principles of the proposed plan to raise the fee will not be changed," Lee Ming-liang (
The Department of Health's proposal was defended by Lee on Thursday on the grounds that it was necessary to keep the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) viable.
Lee, denying local media reports that the change would take effect on Sept. 1, yesterday stressed that since the proposal has not been finalized, a timetable for its implementation has not yet been decided.
Premier Yu Shyi-kun confirmed his support for the proposal in principle yesterday, but ordered the DOH and BNH) "to carefully reconsider and re-evaluate the proposal so that patients who are genuinely ill but poor will not be deterred from seeking medical care."
Underprivileged groups such as those on low incomes, the physically or mentally handicapped, children under three, residents of remote areas and those suffering from chronic or critical disease will either be subject to reduced fees or exempted from payment altogether.
This is one of the aspects that remains under consideration, but the bureau and the DOH will now consider whether there are any other categories that need to be deemed "underprivileged."
"The aim of reforming the existing payment scheme is to carry out the fee-for-service system and to prevent the waste of medical resources while caring for patients in need," said the president of the BNHI, Chang Hung-jen (張鴻仁).
"We will therefore go through the BNHI's database to look for other people who may be disadvantaged by the new measure in order to ensure that our final draft provides protection for all under-privileged patients," he said.
The National Health Insurance Scheme was designed to include a portion of medical treatment costs payable upon delivery of the treatment as a means of deterring the misuse of medical resources.
According to the existing NHI regulation, in addition to medication fees, patients pay a registration fee of NT$50 at local hospitals and clinics and a maximum of NT$150 at university or regional hospitals.
Under the new proposal, patients would have to shoulder 20 percent of the outpatient expenses at university or regional hospitals and 15 percent of those at local hospitals. The fee at clinics would remain unchanged.
This could translate into fees as high as NT$1,500 for an outpatient service at university hospitals, NT$1,000 at regional hospitals, and NT$500 at local hospitals.
The proposal has drawn fire from opposition parties and private foundations, who condemned it as neglectful of the welfare of the people.
Lee retorted, however, that over 70 percent of the public, most of whose medical treatment is delivered by local clinics, would not be affected by the new measure, and that only about one third of the remaining 30 percent would have to pay more for medical treatment.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source