Under increasing pressure from opposition lawmakers over rises in health insurance rates, the head of the Bureau of National Health Insurance Chang Hong-jen (
"I do not think it is proper for me to talk about resignation now. If I resign now, I am an irresponsible person," Chang said yesterday.
Chang made the remarks in response to a Chinese-language newspaper's report saying that he had offered to resign.
The report also claimed that Department of Health Director-General Twu Shiing-jer (
"You should ask Twu, rather than me, concerning any personnel reshuffle," Chang told reporters.
Twu refused to comment on the issue yesterday.
Opposition lawmakers asked the Control Yuan to impeach Chang and Twu yesterday because the bureau refused to revoke the hike in national health insurance premiums, which went into effect on Sept.1 last year, despite the legislature's resolution to suspend it.
Chang said last week that the bureau would maintain the higher rates, otherwise the program would go bankrupt.
In response to criticism from opposition lawmakers, and even some DPP politicians, that the bureau's employees should not receive high year-end bonuses while its deficits are mounting, Chang said the bonuses are granted according to the law.
"Even though the bureau launched the hike last September, our employees do not consequently receive more bonuses," Chang said. "The public should not think our employees are greedy."
The opposition claims that while 300,000 people are unable to pay their health insurance premiums, the bureau's employees can claim year-end bonuses worth several months' salary.
Chang said the bureau would change the way it calculates its employees' bonuses this year.
"In 2003, the bureau will calculate its employees' year-end bonuses according to assessments of their performances, as the legislature has suggested," Chang said.
Chang said clarifying the status of the bureau would solve the bickering over its employees' bonuses.
The Bureau of National Health Insurance, like the Bureau of Labor Insurance, is neither a governmental institution nor a state-owned enterprise. However, it is operated in a similar way to a state-owned enterprise.
Therefore, its employees are not civil servants and are not eligible for the civil servants' pension schemes, nor can they claim education subsidies for their children.
"I welcome everyone to discuss how to restructure the bureau. It is time to raise this issue now," Chang said.
Chang suggested one option would be to change the bureau into a governmental institution.
As the bureau's status is ambiguous, its bonus system has often been questioned.
According to Liu Chien-hsiang (
As a result of the furor, Twu has instructed the bureau to cut its year-end bonuses from 4.6 months' salary to 4.1.
"Although the bureau pays the bonuses in accordance with the law, it is still not right for its employees to claim so much money," Twu said.
During his visit to Miaoli County yesterday, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said the government would consider making a law to help the 300,000 people who are unable to pay their health premiums.
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