Amid mounting calls for increased transparency in public hospital finances, the Department of Health announced yesterday it will require 40 hospitals funded by nonprofit foundations to disclose their financial statements within three months.
"Hospitals set up by foundations ... are among public assets," Hsueh Jui-yuan (
Among the 40 hospitals funded by charity organizations, only 15 make their balance sheets public, via their Web sites.
The Taiwan Health Reform Foundation has urged all hospitals to reveal their handling of profits and explain their financial dealings.
While both the Bureau of National Health Insurance and hospitals allege that they are bleeding red ink, the foundation contends that the public has the right to know how hospitals spent the NT$260 million allotted to them out of the annual insurance revenue.
According to the latest statistics from the Taiwan Hospital Association, half of the nation's hospitals will go bankrupt by the end of next year if the policy of fixed budgeting for each hospital continues.
The bureau said that its NT$10.5 billion safety reserve fund will have fallen to NT$300 million, less than a day's insurance costs, by the end of this year.
"With a possible hike in insurance rates next year, the hospitals have a responsibility to stand before the public and explain their finances," foundation chairperson Chang Ly-yun (
"If the hospitals do not use their profits to buy advanced medical equipment or employ more health workers, the quality of medical service will never go up -- no matter how much more we pay for our health insurance," foundation executive director Liu Mei-chun (
According to a survey released by the foundation yesterday, there are at least four large hospitals making large profits. Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, for instance, reaped NT$33.7 billion last year in net profits. Mackay Memorial Hospital also gained about NT$10.6 billion last year.
"It's legal for hospitals to make money, and people hope to see them survive," Chang said. But she said it's unreasonable -- and unethical -- for them to keep their finances statements to themselves, especially when they enjoy low taxes.
The foundation urged the government to look at hospitals' balance sheets with a magnifying glass.
"Our government is our gatekeeper," said Chang. "It is the government's duty to safeguard our right to quality medical care and to monitor the use of resources."
By law, the Department of Health is not empowered to punish those hospitals who refuse to make their financial statements public. And the department will not consider pushing for a revision of the National Health Insurance Law (
In 2002, the department asked the 40 hospitals who receive funds from charitable organizations to disclose their finances. But only 15 hospitals complied with the request, and there were no penalties for those who didn't.
The only regulation possible, said Hsueh, is through the Bureau of National Health Insurance, which has leverage over hospitals.
"If hospitals are unwilling to cooperate, the Bureau of National Health can change their contract terms," Hsueh said.
Hsueh also said that the department will adopt the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and hire accounting professionals to check hospital finances next year.
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