The Ministry of Health and Welfare today announced three new policies taking effect next month, including expanding National Health Insurance (NHI) medication coverage, increasing free vaccinations and adjusting hospital bed policies during flu season.
Although the flu epidemic has improved over the past two weeks, it is still flu season and the number of patients reporting flu-like symptoms is still high, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said.
To provide more space in hospitals for patients, the NHI Administration would allow medical institutions to use special hospital beds as general beds starting next month.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
This policy would ensure that medical resources are allocated more efficiently, the CDC said.
The NHI is expanding medication coverage for patients with chronic kidney disease and heart failure starting next month, the CDC said.
To enhance medication adherence and care quality, patients with chronic kidney disease receiving this medication are required to enroll in either the “Early-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease Integrated Care Program” or the “NHI Pre-End-Stage Renal Disease (Pre-ESRD) Patient Care and Education Program,” it said.
The new policy is estimated to benefit close to 170,000 people and cover a total of about NT$1.6 billion (US$48.57 million) in medication fees, it added.
Publicly funded pneumococcal vaccinations would be expanded to people aged 19 to 64 at high risk of invasive pneumococcal disease starting March 10, the CDC said.
High-risk groups include “those with splenic dysfunction, immunodeficiency, cochlear implants or cerebrospinal fluid leakage, as well as individuals with malignant tumors or organ transplants recipients who have received immunosuppressive agents or radiation therapy within the past year,” it said.
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