The debate over the new fees of the national health insurance system raged on yesterday as opposition lawmakers vowed to stage a massive protest if the Bureau of National Health Insurance insists on raising premium and co-payment rates.
Meanwhile, President Chen Shui-bian (
PFP lawmaker Lin Hui-kuan (
The bureau has said it will adjust the fees upward, effective Sept. 1, to help ease its financial woes. The Department of Health (DOH) has voiced support for the planned hikes, which do not require legislative approval to go into effect.
But Lin argued that the legislature adopted a resolution during its last session that orders the bureau to obtain consent from its Sanitation, Environment, and Social Welfare Committee before seeking to tinker with the fee payments.
"The bureau probably thinks it can get around legislative oversight by making the policy change during the summer recess," said Lin, a former labor union leader.
He threatened to organize a massive street protest at the end of August if the government fails to heed his plea.
Fellow PFP lawmaker Kao Ming-chien (
But Kao said that medical institutions are to blame, as they tend to prescribe loosely in a bid to boost their revenue.
He suggested that the government contribute more funds to the health insurance program, which accounts for only 5.35 percent of the nation's GDP.
"The figure is rather low in comparison with those in advanced countries such as Japan, Canada, Germany and the US," Kao said.
The health insurance program, introduced in 1995, derives almost all its funding from premium revenue that is shared or subsidized, in various proportions, by the insured, their employers and the government.
Beneficiaries are also required to co-pay a portion of medical costs to prevent the wasting and misuse of medical recourses.
During a public appearance, President Chen said it is time to review the program and decide whether it should continue to exist or be terminated.
"Shortly after the power transfer [in May 2000], DOH Director-general Lee Ming-liang (
The financing of the health insurance system is built around the "pay as you go" concept, which means the collection of premiums and the payment of medical expenses happens at the same time.
"We can't expect the program to stay viable while denying it the necessary funding," the president said.
The health program allows those who are insured to obtain comprehensive medical care -- including health prevention, clinical care, hospitalization and social rehabilitation. As of December 2000, it has enrolled over 21 million citizens, or 96 percent of the population.
Chen conceded, however, that there is ample room for the service to improve and that the DOH cannot shake its responsibility for the cash shortage.
The main opposition KMT pointed out that the DOH promised earlier this year not to raise fees before the end of 2003 when it sought support for revisions to health laws.
"How can the department make such a turnabout within such a short period of time?" KMT legislative leader Tseng Yung-chuan asked reporters later in the day.
Tseng said his party would take drastic measures if the Cabinet goes through with the plan to increase fees.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
An exhibition celebrating Taiwan and Japan’s comic culture opened on Saturday in Taichung, featuring a section that explores Taiwanese reproductions of Japanese comics from when martial law limited Japanese representation. “A Century of Manga Culture: An Encounter of Taiwan and Japan’s Youth” held its Taiwan opening ceremony at Taichung’s National Taiwan Museum of Comics after an initial one-month run in Japan’s Kyoto International Manga Museum between May 24 and June 24. Much like the Kyoto exhibition, the show mainly celebrates the comic connection between Taiwan and Japan through late Taiwanese comic book