Dr Lee Po-Chang, the Director General of the NHIA, said in an interview that, despite the NHI financial difficulty, the NHI drug fees still account for 28.9% of its total spending, a ratio much higher than the international average of 16%.  Though certain cancer drugs are now only available to be used as subsequent-line treatments, this decision was not made lightly.  It was the conclusion drawn by experts after thorough discussions.   Dr Lee assures that other alternative treatments are still available under the NHI.

Dr Lee expressed that no one would be opposed to the listing of all new drugs in the NHI Benefit Scheme.  He personally would also like to provide a treatment opportunity for every patient.  However, the NHI has limited resources.  The NHI must use the resources efficiently so that it could increase the access to more new treatments.   The NHIA’s recent plan to increase the co-payment is one of the measures to sustain the NHI, as well as to increase the public’s awareness of the NHI’s financial situation. 

Dr Lee also mentioned that one of the reasons for the delay in listing new drugs is the divided opinions among members in the NHI Drug Dispensing Items and Fee Schedule Joint Establishment Meeting, as medical centers are keener than regional hospitals and primary care clinics for new drugs to be available under the NHI. 

The NHI Board is now contemplating on the possibility of integrating the NHI with private health insurance policy.  The NHIA is going to organize a conference with stakeholders to discuss this issue.

【2022-04-04 / United Daily News】