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NHIA announces co-payment adjustments
The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has issued a notice on adjustments to co-payments for medical services provided under the national health insurance system.
Under the draft amendment, patients will pay 20% of fees for outpatient prescription drugs covered under the system, with a cap of NT$300 per outpatient visit, up from the current NT$200.
Patients are required to pay 10-20% for medical tests or diagnostic examinations if the cost exceeds NT$500 and if they visit a regional/district hospital or medical centre, payments are to be capped at NT$100-400 per outpatient visit.
The NT$500 threshold for charging co-payments has been increased from the current NT$200.
However, the draft amendment still exempts patients with chronic illnesses who receive more than 28 days of medicine in their second and third refills of "chronic illness refill prescription" from paying a co-payment for the medication.
The ministry has also decided to scrap a proposal requiring such patients to pay a co-payment of NT$100 for both the second and third refills.
The NHIA says the new rules could take effect in the first half of this year.
