COVID-19 prevention efforts are affecting medical clinics’ income, and without a government response, some might be forced to close, placing even greater stress on hospitals, the Taiwan Medical Clinic Association said on Friday.
The association cited a poll that showed that otolaryngological, internal medicine and pediatric clinics are the most affected.
It and the Taiwan Medical Association urged the government to make clinics eligible for subsidies from the government’s special COVID-19 budget so that basic medical services could continue.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Medical Clinics Association
Taiwan Medical Association deputy secretary-general Lin Heng-li (林恆立) said the survey found that 98.3 percent of clinics saw a drop in National Health Insurance (NHI) claims in February and last month from the same period last year.
Lin said that 25.4 percent of clinics reported a 30 percent decrease in income, 21 percent reported a 40 percent decrease and 19.3 percent reported a 50 percent decrease.
More than 69 percent of clinics said that their overhead costs have increased 10 to 25 percent due to disease prevention efforts, while another 16.8 percent said their expenses have increased by 30 percent.
Of the 1,318 clinics that participated in the poll, 24.2 percent were pediatric clinics, 24.1 percent were otolaryngological, 17.4 percent were family medicine and 10.4 were internal medicine, Lin said.
Taiwan Medical Clinic Association deputy director Chen Chun-hung (陳俊宏) said that medical clinics should not have to close due to a lack of funding.
Citing transactions to be reimbursed by NHI as an example, Chen said hospitals were able to pay with funding allotted last year, while clinics paid based on the amount of NHI points they accrued that month after a 5 percent discount.
Chen said that disease prevention equipment should not be considered a part of the NHI payout.
The government should take over the distribution of all disease prevention equipment and materials, Lin said, adding that there were an inadequate number of masks issued to clinics, some of which had not yet received protective gear.
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