In an interview with Pharma Boardroom, a well-known European medical and pharmaceutical regulatory platform, Dr. Chen Lian-Yu, the newly appointed Director General of the National Health Insurance Administration, shared Taiwan NHI’s experiences in digital transformation and regulatory innovation. She also provided insights into the alignment of Taiwan’s clinical guidelines with international standards through the newly established New Cancer Drug Fund, as well as the government’s efforts to strengthen the capacity of health technology assessment (HTA). The interview clearly conveys the Taiwanese government’s commitment to health investment and to building a “Healthy Taiwan.”
According to Dr. Chen, Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system has a comparative advantage in applying digital technologies and management tools to optimize the structure of healthcare services and expenditures, with the goal of creating a highly accessible and high-quality healthcare system. She also acknowledged the financial pressure facing the NHI as a result of population ageing. Nevertheless, President Lai’s “Healthy Taiwan” policy clearly positions health as a national investment priority. As a result, this year’s NHI global budget has reached a record growth rate of 5.5%, bringing the total budget close to NT$1 trillion. This increase reflects the government’s commitment to sustaining the NHI system, and Dr. Chen expects this growth trend to continue into next year.
Dr. Chen noted that the launch of advanced and emerging therapies has highlighted the growing importance of robust health technology assessment (HTA) and reassessment mechanisms. In the field of cancer treatment, the NHIA’s top priority is to align Taiwan’s clinical treatment guidelines with international standards. The establishment of the New Cancer Drug Fund is intended to increase cancer patients’ access to new drugs that are already included in international treatment guidelines. In parallel, the NHIA continues to strengthen its HTA capacity by expanding professional manpower and establishing a dedicated agency and budget to respond to the rapid development of innovative therapies.
A recent study commissioned by the Ministry of Finance highlighted the long-term financial pressure facing the NHI system, particularly the impact of population ageing on its medium- and long-term financial sustainability. According to NHI estimates, if the premium rate remains fixed at 5.17%, the NHI would still be able to maintain a healthy safety reserve equivalent to two months of expenditures by the end of 2026. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has noted that, while the government continues to expand NHI revenue sources, medium- and long-term financial pressure remains a significant challenge, and system reform is therefore under consideration.
Over the past 30 years, Taiwan’s NHI system has accumulated extensive experience and received international recognition. In response to the challenges posed by an ageing population and the rapid development of new technologies, the NHIA has adopted a range of new approaches, including digital governance and HTA. Dr. Chen’s interview with the European media platform offers international audiences valuable insight into Taiwan’s ongoing NHI transformation.
【2026-01-12/ China Times】
