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.”
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS