National Health Insurance Administration data showed that more than 44,000 people received medical treatments covered by National Health Insurance (NHI) more than 90 times last year and have been listed for follow-up guidance by the administration.
A 31-year-old Kaohsiung man last year visited 26 clinics or hospitals 503 times, the highest number of annual NHI-covered visits last year.
Administration data show that each person on the NHI scheme pays for an average of 15 hospital visits per year.
The administration in 2013 started tracking people who visit hospitals more than 90 times per year so it could help people understand how to use healthcare services.
Administration official Lin Bao-feng (林寶鳳) said the Kaohsiung man had a car accident last year and a chronic allergy and often visited hospitals or clinics for injections to relieve his allergies.
“The injections offered short-term benefits, so he sometimes had to get another antihistamine shot four hours after the first one,” she said, adding that a pharmacist who visited the man reported that he might have developed an antihistamine dependence.
A 55-year-old visited hospitals 446 times last year due to chronic illness, including contact dermatitis, urticaria and eczema, Lin said, adding that the administration has improved communications with these people.
Lin said the administration will contact people who visit hospitals often by telephone or home visits.
About 60 percent of people contacted reduce their visits, but many people become frequent visitors to clinics and hospitals every year, she added.
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