In the wake of the debacle surrounding the fixed-budget policy for hospitals, hospital representatives yesterday said that they will take to the streets again next month if the government fails to thrash out a satisfactory solution.
"Under the current policy, hospitals can no longer survive," said Chuang Yi-chou (
According to Chuang, the Bureau of National Health Insurance now only gives NT$0.85 for each NT dollar hospitals apply for in reimbursement.
The low payments could force many hospitals to shut down, Chuang said.
Hospital representatives took their complaints to the Director-General of the Department of Health (DOH) Chen Chine-jen (
"The National Health Insurance system is designed to take patients with severe and chronic diseases," said Chang Jin-wen (
"But now every hospital has an overflowing intake of all kinds of diseases, including minor ailments like the common cold and stomach aches," Chang said.
Others said that if the policy is not mended in time, the shortfall for hospitals' expenses nationwide will peak to a cumulative NT$50.6 billion this year.
"While the Bureau [of National Health Insurance] gave the hospitals 5 percent less than the rebates hospitals applied for last year, they are giving 18 percent less this year," said Chen Hsueh-Fen (
Chuang suggested that the government could arrange a special budget for certain diseases to unburden the national health insurance system.
"If the government can separately subsidize patients with rare diseases, infectious diseases, AIDS and hemophilia, and exclude them from the budget, the patients will no longer worry about being shunned by hospitals. And hospitals can dedicate their efforts to taking care of patients with cancer and chronic diseases," Chuang said.
"Public hygiene and care for the ill should be two different issues," he added.
In response, DOH Director-General Chen Chien-jen (
"No matter what the hospitals appealed for, one thing is sure -- the hospital must continue providing medical services and we will keep negotiating with hospitals," Chen said.
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