DPP lawmakers are sick over a proposal by the Bureau of National Health Insurance to hike premiums and say more should be done to root out inefficiency in the nation's healthcare system.
The bureau has proposed to the Department of Health raising rates for full-time workers from 4.25 percent of their monthly salary to 4.91 percent by July.
The department is evaluating the proposal before sending it to the legislature. If approved, workers would have to pay between NT$20 and NT$67 more in health premiums a month.
"Although the increase doesn't seem much for an individual, it could be a lot for a low-income family," DPP lawmaker Lin Chin-hsing (林進興) said. "Besides, it's not a good idea to make such changes when the economy is bad."
Lin made the remarks yesterday at a press conference also attended by DPP lawmakers You Ching (尤清), Chen Sheng-hung (陳勝宏) and Chen Chung-shin (陳忠信).
But while the legislators are opposed to any hike in fees, the health insurance bureau says an increase is justified.
According to Louis Liu (
Bureau officials and DPP legislative caucus members plan to discuss the issue on Monday.
Under the current rate of 4.25 percent, a worker earning NT$10,000 a month pays NT$425 in health insurance premiums. Of that amount, the worker pays 30 percent -- or in this example, NT$127.50 -- out of his or her own pocket.
The worker's company pays 60 percent, or NT$255, while the government is responsible for the remaining 10 percent, or NT$42.50.
If the rate jumps to 4.91 percent, a worker who earns NT$10,000 a month would have to pay an additional NT$20. Workers who belong to unions would have to pay as much as NT$67 in additional fees, as the union rather than the employer is responsible for insurance premiums.
Lin said he wasn't opposed to hiking rates, but said emphasis should be placed on reducing waste in the healthcare system first.
The DPP lawmaker said many factors contribute to inefficiency in the healthcare system, the primary ones being unnecessary medical examinations and prescriptions and billing fraud.
"It's a common practice for hospitals and clinics -- including state-run facilities -- to report medical expenses that are greater than the actual amount spent and the bureau just watches and does nothing," Lin said.
In addition, he said, doctors often advise patients to undergo unnecessary and expensive examinations in order to increase billings.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS