The Department of Health readies child health plan

Lee Ming-liang (李明亮), director-general of the Department of Health, said yesterday that children under the age of three will be able to receive free medical services beginning the first day of next year if the government budget is passed in the Legislative Yuan.

The government budget is currently being held up in debate in the legislature.

The move would be the first step in fulfilling the DPP government's proposed "3-3-3 family welfare program" (三三三安家福利專案). President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) recently announced the postponement of implementation of the full social welfare policy for the sake of economic development.

Lee said yesterday the budget for implementing the child welfare policy had been prepared by the Ministry of Interior and approved by Minister of the Interior Chang Po-ya (張博雅). The Department of Health is a subordinate organ of the Ministry of the Interior. The calculated budget for medical subsidies targeting children under three for the next fiscal year is about NT$2.7 billion, Lee said.

Lee and Chang made the announcement at a symposium yesterday discussing children-related medical policies held at National Taiwan University's medical school.

Both voiced their strong support for the implementation of the policy and emphasized that children deserve quality medical services.

If the government budget passes the legislature, children under three will be able to visit physicians without paying the normal fee patients typically must pay. Parents and guardians, however, will still need to pay into the national health insurance plan for their children.

Low-income families will be able to waive health insurance payments.

"The policy will be applicable to all children under three," said Lee.

According to official statistics, there are nearly 860,000 children under three years old nationwide, making up 3.9 percent of the population. Of these children, 94.9 percent have are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.

About 3.5 percent of citizens have not yet joined the compulsory national health insurance plan. Lee said if these people paid for the compulsory health insurance, the government would only need to budget NT$1.7 billion to cover the costs of free medical services for children under three.

Currently, the national health insurance programs runs a monthly deficit of about NT$2 billion. This fact led some at yesterday's symposium to question whether the government could afford the new policy.

"The kickbacks in the Lafayette frigates purchase scandal totaled up to NT$20 billion. This money alone could pay for the new policy for over a decade," Lee said, showing his dissatisfaction with the small sum earmarked for medical care as a proportion of the government's overall budget.