Hemophilia is the most costly disease to treat, national health insurance figures show, with an average bill of NT$2.47 million (US$74,600) per patient last year.
Citing Bureau of National Health Insurance statistics released at the end of the year, Lee Li-hua (李麗華), an official in the medical affairs division, said yesterday that the average amount spent on each hemophilia patient was equivalent to the annual premiums of 148 people.
The average national health insurance premium per person is NT$16,700, she said.
A total of 909 hemophilia patients covered their treatment with national health insurance last year, she said.
Meanwhile, the cost to the national health insurance system last year to treat patients dependent on respirators was equivalent to 44 annual premiums, while the cost per patient for those requiring regular dialysis was equivalent to 36 annual premiums.
For patients who have to be fed intravenously because of intestinal resection, the cost to the national health insurance was equivalent to 32 annual premiums. Treating burn patients cost the equivalent of 27 annual premiums.
These patients were among the 720,000 people categorized as having “catastrophic illnesses” and whose health care costs accounted for 26.2 percent of total expenditures, Lee said. About 3 percent of insured persons are classified as having “catastrophic illnesses,” she said.
Bureau figures showed that 330,000 cancer patients sought treatment last year under national health insurance coverage, which cost NT$44.5 billion, or NT$130,000 per patient.
Cancer patients comprised the largest group within the category of “catastrophic illnesses,” the bureau said.
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