National Health Insurance (NHI) spending on cancer treatments last year rose to a record NT$156.7 billion (US$4.92 billion), up NT$26.5 billion from 2020, with an average annual growth rate of about 5 percent, NHI data showed.
The number of patients seeking cancer treatment last year increased to 970,104, rising by an average of 5 percent annually over the past five years, National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) data showed.
Breast cancer accounted for the largest number of cases at 198,878, followed by colorectal and anal cancers (120,624); lung, trachea and bronchus cancers (111,620); and prostate cancer (79,696), the data showed.
Photo: CNA
For the first time in a decade, the cost of pancreatic cancer treatment was among the top 10, the data showed.
NHIA’s Medical Review and Pharmaceutical Benefits Division director Huang Yu-wen (黃育文) said the rising costs are mainly driven by Taiwan’s aging population and expanded cancer screening programs, reflecting increased health investment and improved access to care.
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage and has fewer treatment options, which results in higher costs and slower advances in drug development, she said, adding that the NHIA found that there was a significant gap in treatment for the disease.
Overall, the government has increased its funding for cancer prevention and treatment, with the Health Promotion Administration boosting its cancer screening budget by about NT$600 million to expand early detection, one of the key pillars of cancer control, Huang said.
Other priorities include investing in advanced diagnostic technologies and new treatments to improve precision care, she said.
The NHIA would continue to monitor treatment quality and outcomes through digital management systems, with the goal of reducing cancer mortality and improving overall public health, she added.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of an event on Saturday celebrating the NHI system’s 31st anniversary, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said the NHIA’s smartphone app (全民健保行動快易通), or “My Health Bank (健康存摺),” has new functions, such as an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted health risk assessment and “health coin” collection.
The app once served as a platform for checking COVID-19 test results, and purchasing rationed masks and rapid COVID-19 test kits, so more than 1.2 million people have downloaded the app, Shih said, adding that the app received more than 600 million queries since its launch.
After the pandemic slowed down, the number of people who regularly used the app declined, and now it only has about 1 to 3 million users, he said.
Taiwan has become a super-aged society with more than 20 percent of the population aged 65 or older, and its average life expectancy has exceeded 80-years-old, but longer living does not mean healthy living, Shih said.
About 85 percent of people aged 65 or older have at least one chronic illness and nearly half have at least three chronic conditions, so the NHI system is evolving with the times — extending its focus from “disease treatment” to “precision prevention,” and using digital tools to promote healthy lifestyles and health self-management, he said.
“My Health Bank not only keeps individuals’ medical records, but its functions have also been expanding,” he said, adding that a lifestyle scale was added last year, which helps people assess their nutrition intake, sleep quality, exercise and stress levels.
An AI-assisted health education function — first targeting people with diabetes — and the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk scale, which would help people better manage their health condition and seek professional assistance when needed, were also added to the app, he said.
National Taiwan University Hospital superintendent Yu Chung-jen (余忠仁) said the number of queries for My Health Bank indicates that people are paying more attention to health information, and that the app makes it easier for people to discuss their health conditions with doctors, which helps them with long-term health management.
However, healthy diet and lifestyle habits, as well as exercise are still the keys to health and longevity, and people should put more emphasis on their maintaining their health than relying on medical resources for treating illnesses, Yu added.
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