After failing to get the Department of Health to halt its plans to hike the National Health Insurance [NHI] fee, representatives from more than 60 local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) condemned the plan yesterday and pledged to join a labor union-organized demonstration on Aug. 27.
"There is no evidence showing that the general public is responsible for the debt-ridden [NHI] program and it is unfair to ask everyone to bear the debt caused by the waste of hospitals' medical resources," said Chang Li-yun (
"The department has fooled people by making the decision [to hike the fee] arbitrarily through a very careless, crude and secretive procedure. While the department thinks the [fee] raise is a must, the public is not ready for it," Chang said.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
"We will protest against the policy by taking to the streets in the demonstration organized by labor union on Aug 27th," Chang said, adding that they will also visit the DPP, KMT and PFP legislature caucuses to seek lawmakers' support.
The representatives from 63 NGOs -- most of which are groups representing the disabled, underprivileged or terminally-ill -- held a press conference yesterday at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall after an hour-long negotiation with department officials regarding the planned fee hike.
Last month, the department announced a new scheme to raise the NHI payments in a bid to sustain the debt-ridden national health insurance program for two more years.
Under the scheme, which is scheduled to be launched on Sept. 1, the NHI premiums would be raised from 4.25 percent to 4.75 percent of a person's monthly pay and outpatients can expect charges of up to NT$710 per visit for medical treatment.
During the negotiations, the NGOs asked the department to halt the plan until it has fully discussed the problem of the NHI system with the public and disclosed the financial records of hospitals.
"If the DOH is willing to postpone the date of implementation to next January, we are willing to discuss with them regarding the amount of raise," Chang Chueh (張玨), board member of the Consumer's Foundation (消基會) said.
However, according to the representatives, although the DOH officials showed genuine concern about the criticisms, the officials said that the schedule for the hike in fees would remain unchanged.
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