Only 17.06 percent of adults in Taipei aged 40 or older have received preventive health examinations funded by the National Health Insurance (NHI) program, the Taipei Department of Health said on Sunday, adding that it has sent reminders to residents who are to turn 40 this year to book the service.
As of Oct. 31 last year, 30.67 percent of adults nationwide aged 40 to 64 had received the health exam, but the capital’s residents averaged significantly less than that, Health Promotion Administration statistics showed.
To encourage more people to use the service, the department said that it has notified 47,960 residents who were born in 1979 to remind them the service is available.
The exam is a convenient way to get a comprehensive health checkup, department Commissioner Huang Shier-chieg (黃世傑) said, adding that it is available once every three years for people aged 40 to 64 and once per year for those aged 65 or older.
People aged 45 or older are also eligible for a one-time NHI-funded hepatitis B and C screening, Huang said, adding that people should not put off health checks because they do not feel unwell.
People eligible for the services can make appointments with contracted healthcare facilities and must provide their NHI card, he said.
The department urged Taipei residents to get preventive health exams regularly and see the same doctor as much as possible so physicians can better understand patients’ long-term medical situation, family background and mental condition, which helps with care for chronic diseases and improves health management, he said.
Taipei residents can use a dedicated Web site (https://ikh.tw/hnbd/ahs/#gmap) to find their nearest healthcare facility that provides the NHI-funded preventive health exam service, the department said.
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