Incoming Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) raised eyebrows on his first day in office earlier this month when he vowed to collect debt owed to the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme from local governments.
He also promised to raise insurance premiums.
Yaung’s comments were regarded as a slap in the face for Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), as of a total of NT$60.3 billion (US$1.8 billion) in debts owed to NHI, Taipei City owes the most, at NT$34.7 billion.
PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Also, to help make the NHI a fairer system, Yaung said he favored raising insurance premiums, meaning that those with bigger salaries would pay more.
His vow to increase insurance premiums no doubt irritated many business owners and members of the public, with critics saying raising premiums was unwise given the sluggish economy.
Commenting on Yaung’s opening salvo, Asia University honorary professor Wu Kai-hsun (吳凱勳) said Yaung “has been too honest,” adding that this risked irritating people.
“While it is normal to adjust National Health Insurance premiums, to do so will require careful communication,” Wu said. “I’m afraid Yaung’s comments will scare people — especially employers, now that they will have to pay more.”
Prior to taking the job, Yaung was vice president of Asia University in Taichung. Yaung was also described as the “godfather” of Taiwan’s public health industry after devoting most of his career to teaching.
The vice superintendent of education at Chi Mei Hospital’s Liouying branch, Liu Shyun-yeu (劉巡宇), a close friend of Yaung’s, described him as a “friendly neighbor” who always keeps himself busy and is full of new ideas.
“He is a down-to-the-earth person who does not get angry easily,” Liu said.
Liu said that he and Yaung had known each other since 1998, when Yaung joined the DOH as a deputy minister and Liu was an executive officer and special aide to former minister Steve Chan (詹啟賢).
He said Yaung’s priorities did not surprise him at all.
“If he hadn’t said those things, he would not be the guy I have known for so many years,” Liu said.
Liu said Yaung had talked with him on whether he should accept the position as minister prior to making his decision.
“Yaung vowed to fix the problems at the National Health Insurance because he considers them to be his responsibility, since he was one of the architects of the National Health Insurance plan launched 15 years ago,” Liu said.
“Yaung really has guts to say what he said,” Liu said.
Liu, however, said that Yaung’s announcement on his first day in office was not exactly ministerial behavior and that he could end up making enemies who might threaten his career.
“However, he is doing the right thing,” Liu said.
As Yaung’s former superior officer, Chan said Yaung’s new appointment was “the right post for the right person.”
“He is an expert in public health. We need a guy like him in the fight against swine flu,” Chan said.
Many of Yaung’s friends and former coworkers said he was a “person with good communication abilities.”
DOH officials also felt his charm on his first day on the job.
“He is a nice guy,” a senior official at the DOH said on condition of anonymity. “I’ve never seen him angry — and I’ve known him since he was deputy minister several years ago. He was always patient when explaining things.”
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS