Page 113 - 2024 Taiwan Health and Welfare Report

08 ｜ National Health Insurance and National Pension

Table 8-1 2023 Year End NHI Premium Subsidies for the Disadvantaged

Item Beneficiaries Total Assisted Total Contribution
Premium Low-income households, middle-lower-income households, unemployed 3.945 million NTD 34.46 billion
veterans, unemployed laborers and their families, disabled persons,
Subsidies unemployed indigenous people below age 20 or above age 55 persons

Relief Fund Loans People meeting economic hardship requirements set by the Ministry of 1,598 cases NTD 152 million
Health and Welfare
Installment People who cannot immediately repay owed premiums 72,000 cases NTD 2.22 billion
Payment Plans
Referral to People unable to pay their premiums 5,963 cases NTD 51.07 million
charities
Source: National Health Insurance Administration, MOHW (NHIA)

50 mountain and offshore regions have been included, 2021 to recruit and encourage physicians to provide
with 26 contracted hospitals and clinics providing services in areas with relatively insufficient medical
services to a local population of 483,000 households. resources, granting access to appropriate medical
Residents in these areas receive medical services resources to all those insured individuals by the NHI.
without additional out-of-pocket expenses. The (6) Health Insurance Telemedicine Payment Program:
average satisfaction rate among the public for this plan To facilitate the accessibility of specialty medical
in 2023 is approximately 95%. care in remote areas, local physicians and doctors
(2) Medical Service Improvement Program for Medically from telemedicine jointly provide online consultations
Underserved Areas: This program encourages and diagnostic advices through video conference
regional or nearby hospitals in areas with insufficient for patients with urgent needs in specialty care
medical resources to offer 24-hour emergency (ophthalmology, otolaryngology, dermatology,
services and inpatient care in internal medicine, cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology and
surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Each hospital can pneumology only) or for patients with the needs of
receive up to NTD 15 million in funding. Hospitals that emergency referral (all departments allowed). Then
do not provide 24-hour emergency services but offer local physicians can also provide with prescriptions.
inpatient care in at least two of these departments In January through December of 2023, total
can receive up to NTD 1 million per department specialty telemedicine visits were 7,992 persons,
annually. where emergency telemedicine visits were 858
(3) Improvement Program for Medically Underserved persons.
Areas: With the spirit of "local services," doctors of 3. Caring for Patients with Catastrophic Diseases and
Chinese medicine, Western medicine and dentists Rare Diseases
are encouraged to practice or provide rotating (1) Insured individuals acquiring a major illness and injury
medical services in these areas. For January through certificate can be exempted from the copayment. By
December of 2023, a total of 613 contracted medical the end of 2023, over 1.04 million major illness/injury
institutions provided medical resources in underserved certificates were issued (the number of patients
areas, serving more than 724,000 people. was over 972,000, accounting for 4.1% of the total
(4) According to Article 60 of the Enforcement Rules of insured), while the expenses for major injury/disease
the National Health Insurance Act, persons seeking in 2023 stood at about NTD 252.4 billion (accounting
outpatient, emergency, and home care services for 27.9% of total annual medical expenditure).
in areas officially recognized as lacking in medical (2) People with MOHW-certified rare diseases that
resources shall receive a 20% discount on their appear on NHI's catastrophic diseases list, could
copayments. not only be exempted from copayment, but also be

(5) The NHIA established the "Platform for Nationwide fully covered for the use of medicines designated
Demand for Physicians in Rural Areas" on February 25, by the MOHW as necessary treatment for these

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