President William Lai’s administration has launched a NT$10 billion Cancer Drug Fund (CDF), with NT$5 billion allocated annually for 2025 and 2026. The fund aims to help cancer patients access advanced treatments during critical recovery windows. Nearly one year into the policy’s implementation, this newspaper conducted a survey of oncologists regarding the accessibility of new drugs and innovative therapies. The results show that 71.9% of physicians believe the current pace of National Health Insurance (NHI) reimbursement fails to meet clinical demands. Furthermore, 78.2% expressed concerns that the annual NT$5 billion budget is insufficient to cover the rising costs of future innovative therapies.
The Taiwan Association of Cancer Patients (TAPO) recently hosted a roundtable reviewing NHI reimbursement policy, convening patient advocacy groups, medical experts, and officials from the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA). Facilitator Jasmine Pwu emphasized that healthcare policy must balance flexibility with sustainability, weighing financial stability against the urgent need to save lives. A survey conducted between Nov. 26 and Dec. 9 collected 64 valid responses from medical societies and hospitals, revealing that under increasing pressure regarding drug access, physicians are hoping for a reimbursement system that more closely aligns with frontline clinical realities.
The survey further indicated that over 90% of physicians believe current NHI drug pricing is too low, which may discourage pharmaceutical companies from submitting new drugs or maintaining supply. Nearly 97% pointed out that as global drug prices rise, Taiwan’s current pricing mechanism could worsen the difficulty of introducing new medications. Regarding treatment trends, combination therapies have become the international standard of care; however, nearly 60% of physicians noted that while they recommend these guideline-compliant treatments, even if not yet insured, financial barriers remain a hurdle. Additionally, 93.8% of physicians believe reimbursement strategies must move beyond a "single-drug" mindset to stay current with global guidelines.
Patient groups are calling for diversified payment models and balance billing to help ease the out-of-pocket financial burden on cancer patients. They also noted that resources for certain "vulnerable" cancer types remain perennially inadequate. Huang Yu-wen, Section Chief of the NHIA’s Medical Review and Pharmaceutical Benefits Division, stated that the administration understands the medical community’s expectations. "Our review process is rigorous, and the administration has never stopped its progress," Huang said, noting that drugs for certain cancers with high unmet needs, such as colorectal cancer, have already been scheduled for discussion at Pharmaceutical Benefit and Reimbursement Scheme Joint Committee meetings.
Patient groups urged more diversified payment models and balance billing to help ease the financial load of out-of-pocket charges for patients, while pointing out that reimbursement for certain categories of cancer drugs has been perennially inadequate. Since 2024, the NHIA has begun reimbursing Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for 19 types of cancer and has implemented a "parallel review" mechanism. In February 2025, a provisional payment system for new cancer drugs was launched to accelerate patient access. As of October this year, seven new cancer drugs have been listed and three have had their coverage expanded, totaling an expenditure of NT$2.19 billion and benefiting 3,500 patients. The NHIA will continue to push for health insurance reforms to create a "four-way win" for patients, industry, medical professionals, and the government.
[2025-12-17/Liberty Times]
