DPP lawmakers are sick over a proposal by the Bureau of National Health Insurance to hike premiums and say more should be done to root out inefficiency in the nation's healthcare system.
The bureau has proposed to the Department of Health raising rates for full-time workers from 4.25 percent of their monthly salary to 4.91 percent by July.
The department is evaluating the proposal before sending it to the legislature. If approved, workers would have to pay between NT$20 and NT$67 more in health premiums a month.
"Although the increase doesn't seem much for an individual, it could be a lot for a low-income family," DPP lawmaker Lin Chin-hsing (林進興) said. "Besides, it's not a good idea to make such changes when the economy is bad."
Lin made the remarks yesterday at a press conference also attended by DPP lawmakers You Ching (尤清), Chen Sheng-hung (陳勝宏) and Chen Chung-shin (陳忠信).
But while the legislators are opposed to any hike in fees, the health insurance bureau says an increase is justified.
According to Louis Liu (
Bureau officials and DPP legislative caucus members plan to discuss the issue on Monday.
Under the current rate of 4.25 percent, a worker earning NT$10,000 a month pays NT$425 in health insurance premiums. Of that amount, the worker pays 30 percent -- or in this example, NT$127.50 -- out of his or her own pocket.
The worker's company pays 60 percent, or NT$255, while the government is responsible for the remaining 10 percent, or NT$42.50.
If the rate jumps to 4.91 percent, a worker who earns NT$10,000 a month would have to pay an additional NT$20. Workers who belong to unions would have to pay as much as NT$67 in additional fees, as the union rather than the employer is responsible for insurance premiums.
Lin said he wasn't opposed to hiking rates, but said emphasis should be placed on reducing waste in the healthcare system first.
The DPP lawmaker said many factors contribute to inefficiency in the healthcare system, the primary ones being unnecessary medical examinations and prescriptions and billing fraud.
"It's a common practice for hospitals and clinics -- including state-run facilities -- to report medical expenses that are greater than the actual amount spent and the bureau just watches and does nothing," Lin said.
In addition, he said, doctors often advise patients to undergo unnecessary and expensive examinations in order to increase billings.
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