During an interpellation session at the Legislature Yuan, Kuomintang Legislator Yang Chiung-ying on Oct. 1 inquired whether the value of National Health Insurance (NHI) medical points could equate to NT$ 0.95 per point by June 2025, to which Premier Cho Jung-tai acknowledged that meeting the goal would be challenging. However, Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) Chiu Tai-yuan said that he is confident in meeting the goal.

Taiwan College of Healthcare Executive (TCHE) President Hung Tzu-jen estimated that the value of NHI medical points would be around NT$ 0.9-0.91 per point next year if current policies on enhancing NHI’s revenue streams and reining in the system’s ever-growing expenditures remain unchanged. TCHE President Hung added that achieving NT$ 0.95 per point would be unlikely unless the implementation of the referral and copayment systems are further improved. Taiwan Medical Association (TMA) Executive Director Wang Hong-yu suggested that the MOHW could gradually increase the value of NHI medical points through the implementation of other measures and aim for further increases after the value reaches NT$ 0.92-0.93 per point.

Professor Han Hsing-wen of National Taipei University of Business’s Department of Public Finance and Tax Administration said that an additional NT$ 70.5 billion will be needed to ensure that the value of NHI medical points remains at NT$0.95. However, the Executive Yuan has allocated only NT$ 33.6 billion from the central government budget for the NHI system next year. Professor Han called on the TMA to urge the medical community to better engage in self-regulation to prevent runaway service volumes. She also emphasized that the National Health Insurance Administration should immediately notify the medical community when medical point values are at risk of declining, so that providers can develop and implement measures in response, otherwise, no matter of additional funding can curb the drop in medical point values.

[2024-10-1/ United Daily News]