The issue of out-of-pocket payments for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans would be part of a review of the copayment mechanism, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said yesterday.
Whether people who do not have cancer or other serious illnesses should pay a portion of the cost of scans would be part of the discussions as the NHI system seeks to increase income and reduce expenditure, Taiwan College of Healthcare Executives director Hung Tzu-jen (洪子仁) said at a college convention in Taipei.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Creating a healthy Taiwan and investing in healthcare digital sustainability.”
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
Some healthcare professionals and political parties have called for the National Health Insurance Act (全民健康保險法) to be amended to ensure that the value of each NHI point is at least NT$1.
The act stipulates a points system for fees for medical services.
Cross-party negotiations at the legislature in July reached a consensus that the Ministry of Health and Welfare must achieve an average of NT$0.95 per point by June 30 next year.
Reducing NHI expenditure can be achieved by avoiding unnecessary medical procedures and asking people to pay higher copayments for some procedures, Hung said.
People who do not have cancer or other serious illnesses should pay a fixed amount for CT and MRI scans to reduce unnecessary procedures, he said.
The scans are necessary to diagnose cancer, as well as in some orthopedic cases or those involving the brain, but many other CT or MRI scans are medically unnecessary and performed at the patients’ request, he said.
NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said that the act already requires a patient copayment of 20 percent of medical fees, a stipulation that has been reviewed many times.
The medical fee copayment mechanism was revised last year with the aim of reducing unnecessary spending, but copayments for examinations were not part of those discussions, as there were issues to consider, including the burden on people with chronic diseases and those who need regular checkups.
The NHIA would review the effects of the revised copayment mechanism that was implemented last year and would include Hung’s suggestion in the discussion, Shih said.
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