As demand for innovative therapies continues to grow, patient advocates and experts are calling for reforms to Taiwan’s reimbursement system to ensure patients can access the most appropriate treatment at the right time, rather than being required to wait until their disease progresses before qualifying for coverage.

Huan-Jui Liu(劉桓睿), Vice President of the Taiwan Young Patient Association, noted that many newly reimbursed medicines are currently prioritized for patients with severe conditions or those in later stages of the disease. As a result, some early-stage patients are unable to receive more effective medications recommended as first-line treatments in international clinical guidelines, such as immunotherapies. He argued that reimbursement policies should adopt an early-intervention approach to prevent patients from missing the optimal treatment window.

Raoh-Fang Pwu (蒲若芳), CEO of the Data Science Center at the College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, stated that healthcare resource allocation should be guided by transparent and publicly discussed principles. Factors such as safety, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and unmet medical needs should be considered collectively, with input from all stakeholders, including patients, healthcare professionals, industry representatives, and policymakers. Such an approach would help ensure healthcare equity and prevent less-visible diseases from being overlooked.

Regarding the Cancer Drug Fund and provisional reimbursement mechanisms, Huan-Jui Liu pointed out that the current funding of approximately NT$10 billion is largely supported by the government budget and lacks a long-term, stable legal foundation. He emphasized the importance of establishing a pathway that allows innovative therapies to transition smoothly into routine National Health Insurance (NHI) reimbursement once local real-world evidence and efficacy have been demonstrated, thereby avoiding treatment interruptions for patients.

【2026-05-27/UDN】