DOH responds to fee-hike complaints

Department of Health (DOH) Director-General Lee Ming-liang (李明亮) yesterday released a five-point response to criticism of the government's planned hike in the National Health Insurance (NHI) fee.

In his response, Lee vowed to disclose hospitals' financial records within three months, to protect the rights of underprivileged patients and to enhance the efficiency of medical services. Lee also promised to reduce the waste of medical resources -- through measures such as adjusting the cost of medicine -- and to provide an official channel -- a toll-free phone line -- for people to lodge complaints.

Lee made the announcement at a press conference and stressed that the department is willing to make necessary improvements to the nation's health-insurance program

According to the DOH, the five-point plan will be enforced within six months.

Chang Hung-jen (張鴻仁), CEO of the Bureau of National Health Insurance, said that hospitals or clinics that refuse to cooperate with the DOH plan may have their medical licenses revoked or see their government subsidies withheld.

Responding to criticism, the DOH director-general said that public opinion has been taken into account.

"We have taken the public's reaction and criticism [to the planned fee hike] seriously and have sincerely accepted the suggestions from various NGOs," Lee said. "However, the direction of the policy has already been set, the new payment scheme will be enforced on time."

Under the DOH's new scheme, which will go into effect on Sept. 1, NHI premiums will be raised from 4.25 percent to 4.75 percent of a person's monthly salary and outpatients can expect charges per visit for medical treatment of up to NT$710.

Since the DOH announced the fee hike last month in a bid to sustain the debt-ridden National Health Insurance program, more than 60 NGOs and labor unions have criticized the government for asking the public to bear the debt burden caused by the waste of medical resources.

Representatives from the Taiwan Health Reform Foundation (台灣醫療改革基金會) also asked the DOH to back off on the plan until discussing the matter with the public and disclosing the financial records of hospitals.

However, as the DOH insists that the scheme will go ahead on schedule, critics will take to the streets in a union-organized demonstration scheduled for Tuesday.