The National Development Council has decided a growth rate between 1.272% and 4.4% for the 2022 NHI Global Budget¸ which means that the 2022 budget will be between NT$793.5 bn and NT$818 bn.  The exact growth rate will be announced after the negotiation meetings with the stakeholders.  However, according to Shang Tong-Fu, the Director of the Department of Social Insurance of the MOHW, the total budget will be over NT$800 bn. 

As the growth rate of the NHI Global Budget hits an all-time low, patients who are waiting for life-saving new drugs are even more anxious.  Shang Tong-Fu assured that next year’s budget for new drugs and new technology will reach NT$3-4 bn to protect patients’ access to new drugs.   The authority will also adjust the reimbursement conditions to further improve the access.

Wu Hong-Lai, the President of the Taiwan Alliance of Patients’ Organizations, expressed that patients are in great agony.  They worry about the sustainability of the NHI, and they also worry that low payment prices will deter new drug companies from introducing innovative treatments into Taiwan.

In general, it takes 10.7 months for a new drug to go through the NHI listing application process.  It takes even longer for cancer drugs, about 18.5 months.  Chen Gau-tzu, the Chairperson of the NHI Drug Dispensing Items and Fee Schedule Joint Establishment Meeting, mentioned that new drugs are assessed in 3 major aspects: safety/comparative efficacy, pharmacoeconomics and financial impact.    However, financial impact is usually the main focus of the discussion. 

Chen Gau-tzu continued that one practical approach for easing the financial impact is to limit the use of new drugs, for example as a second-line treatment, with specified treatment duration, etc., so that patients who need the drugs most could have a higher priority.  The NHI will continue to find ways to expand the reimbursement scope either by price negotiation with drug companies or through risk-sharing agreement. 

Shang Tong-Fu mentioned that the MOHW applied, for the first time, the concept of “horizon scanning” to set the budget for new drugs.  Under the horizon scanning mechanism, drug companies are requested to list their new products and expected launch plans on line, so that the NHIA is able to assess and plan the arrival of new drugs and to accelerate the listing of new drugs.

【2021-09-14 / United Daily】