Taiwan is considering expanding National Health Insurance to cover the full cost of prostate cancer screening, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) told lawmakers yesterday.
He made the disclosure in response to a call from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Liao Wei-hsiang (廖偉翔) for the government to provide free prostate cancer tests.
Prostate cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in Taiwan and the fifth most lethal, with the number of cases increasing by about 9,000 every year, Shih said.
Photo courtesy of Show Chwan Memorial Hospital
The ministry has asked the National Health Research Institutes to investigate subsidies for prostate cancer screening to mitigate the risks stemming from Taiwan’s aging population, he said.
Although officials hope to unveil a national plan for free prostate cancer tests by next year, setting parameters for eligible groups, selecting an effective screening method and creating a fiscally sustainable plan would take time, he said.
National Health Promotion Administration officials told legislators that prostate-specific antigen tests show promise in detecting prostate cancer at an early age, but their false positive rate is a significant drawback.
Using a combination of risk assessment and joint decisionmaking by patients and doctors to calibrate an appropriate screening method is at present the preferred strategy for diagnosing prostate cancer, they said.
The administration has brought together academics, experts and practitioners at conferences to discuss the policy’s design in the hopes of selecting a strategy based on best evidence, they said.
Officials expect to launch prostate cancer screening trials next year to gather data on the Taiwanese population before deciding the next move, they said.
The first batch of individual income tax refunds for this tax season is to be deposited on Friday, covering more than 3.65 million cases and totaling NT$61.24 billion (US$1.89 billion), with an average refund of NT$16,745 per case, the National Taxation Bureau of Kaohsiung said. After the annual individual income tax filing deadline, regional tax bureaus process refunds in three batches based on the filing method used by taxpayers, the bureau said, adding that the three batches are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, and Jan. 20 next year. The first batch covers taxpayers who completed online filing before June 1, those who
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck New Taipei City in northern Taiwan at 8:36pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was about 35.8km east-southeast of New Taipei City Hall, at a depth of 95.7km, the agency said. The earthquake's intensity was highest in Yilan County, New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, Hualien County, Taichung and Miaoli County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Keelung, Hsinchu City, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the agency said.
NEW AND IMPROVED: The N700ST is based on Japan’s N700S Shinkansen, and features a lighter design, better energy efficiency and upgraded accessibility facilities The first set of N700ST high-speed rail carriages, scheduled to arrive in Taiwan next month, would begin service on July 1 next year, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said yesterday. THSRC chairman Shih Che (史哲) made the remarks during a ceremony in Hitachi Ltd’s Kasado Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, where he and Hitachi Railway Systems Business Unit CEO Giuseppe Marino unveiled the locomotive of the first N700ST train. More than 200 guests attended the unveiling. “The first set of N700ST trains will soon be shipped to Taiwan from the prefecture’s Kasado Port. Hopefully, all the required tests will be completed successfully
Taiwan has suspended visa processing for Moroccan nationals in response to Morocco halting visa applications for Taiwanese travelers worldwide, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Moroccan embassy in Japan on Thursday last week informed Taiwanese travel agencies that it would suspend its visa confirmation letter application service for Taiwanese seeking to travel to Morocco, the ministry said in a statement. Taiwanese are required to obtain a visa confirmation letter before traveling to Morocco, the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site says. Applications are submitted through the Moroccan Embassy in Japan, which forwards them to authorities in Morocco for review. Once approved,
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