Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) unveiled his health policies yesterday, promising to establish an elderly care insurance program and grant health insurance subsidies to more people should he be elected president next year.
Ma also pledged to increase government investment on healthcare by NT$140 billion (US$4.3 billion).
The money will be spent on preventive medicare, treatment of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases, the health insurance program and national healthcare for minority groups, Ma said.
PHOTO: CNA
Elderly care insurance would provide proper care for senior citizens and ease the burden on family members, while the program would also create more jobs in the care sector, the KMT presidential candidate said.
With more than 300 representatives of medical associations and unions attending the event to show their support for him, Ma accused the government of failing to invest in medical treatment and causing financial problems for the country's national health insurance program.
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He also criticized his Democratic Progressive Party opponent Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who he said was making empty promises when he agreed to budget NT$50 billion for health insurance.
"Taiwan's healthcare was once the most convenient, economic and efficient. However, government investment in medical treatment and healthcare has ceased over the past seven years and caused a great deal of pain for both doctors and patients," Ma said, urging the medical industry to denounce the government for its negligence on healthcare issues.
Ma proposed to give full healthcare coverage to low-income families and decrease healthcare insurance fees for poor families that do not qualify for full coverage.
Preventive healthcare and medical treatments for minority groups, low-income families, patients with rare disorders and people who live in remote areas would be strengthened, Ma said.
cancer
Ma also promised to work to reduce cancer fatalities and to supply free dentures for the elderly in low-income families.
Subsidized oral care would also be extended to children and the disabled before being expanded to others, Ma said.
The presidential candidate also promised to subsidize research and development in the medical and biotechnology industries, improve the safety of medicine and establish a food safety committee.
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