Adjustments to co-payments for emergency care and prescription drugs covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI) are to take effect on Saturday next week, the NHI Administration announced on Wednesday.
The changes are to affect an estimated 8.45 million people, it said.
They were scheduled to go into effect on May 15 last year, but the agency deferred implementation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
In the new system announced on May 17, regular prescriptions under NT$100 covered under the NHI from a private clinic or district hospital would have no fee.
People would be required to pay 20 percent of fees if they exceed NT$100, with a cap of NT$200 per outpatient visit to a clinic or district hospital.
A fee of NT$10 would be collected for prescriptions of less than NT$100 and 20 percent for those more than NT$100 from regional hospitals and medical centers, capped at NT$300.
People with chronic illnesses who receive a prescription refill issued by a private clinic would be exempt from co-payments in their first outpatient visit, and for second and third refills of their prescription.
However, those with chronic illnesses who visit a district or regional hospital would be charged the same rate as ordinary patients for their chronic illness refill, but would be exempt from co-payments for their second and third refills.
The scheme would not change for an estimated 1.34 million low-income and disabled people to ensure that they receive treatment, the NHI Administration said.
As for emergency visits, clinics and district hospitals currently charge co-payments of NT$150 and NT$300 respectively, while medical centers bill differently depending on severity, charging NT$550 for mild illness and NT$450 for more severe illness.
The new scheme leaves clinics and district hospitals unchanged, while the co-payment for regional hospitals would be raised to NT$400.
Medical centers would charge NT$750 regardless of severity.
The adjustments aim to reserve medical resources for patients who need emergency and critical care, the administration has previously said.
Middle and low-income people, as well as disabled people, would see no change to their co-payments at clinics, district hospitals and regional hospitals, and would pay NT$550 at medical centers regardless of severity, which is the current cost for less severe conditions.
Current partial co-payment exemptions would remain in effect for families in poverty, people giving birth, people with severe conditions, children under three, veterans and people living in rural areas.
Additional reporting by CNA
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