A nationwide survey on registration fees for doctor’s appointments found that they cost anywhere from NT$30 to NT$450 depending on the location, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.
The Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) recently asked medical institutions nationwide to provide information on registration fees. The information has been posted on the bureau’s Web site.
Registration information at more than 500 hospitals and clinics is now available, and as many as 10,000 more may be added in the coming weeks, Bureau of Medical Affairs Manager Shen Mao-ting (沈茂庭) said.
Although most hospitals and clinics charge patients between NT$100 and NT$150 for a doctor’s appointment, some hospitals, such as the Chung Shan Hospital on Renai Road in Taipei, charge up to NT$300 for regular visits and NT$450 for emergency visits.
On the other hand, small clinics in rural parts in the south charge as little as NT$20 to NT$30 for an appointment.
There are no laws governing registration fees, the DOH said.
The reason for the large discrepancy in registration fees could be that each hospital sets its own standards based on factors such as the cost of living in the area and hospital expenses such as salary and rent, Bureau of Medical Affairs Director Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said.
“As registration fees are categorized as an administrative, not medical fee, health authorities have no legal say over how much institutions may charge patients,” he said.
Shih said although there are no regulations governing the amount hospitals may charge for registration, authorities can advise hospitals on what would be a reasonable amount.
Although hospitals and clinics vary widely on how much they charge for such administrative procedures, the government hopes to make the pricing structure more transparent by making the information readily available on the BNHI Web site.
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