New home care and telemedicine services starting in July

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛福部) announced new regulations set to take effect on July 1, including amendments to the Rules of Medical Diagnosis and Treatment by Telecommunications, the Home Emergency Care Program, and the Child Development Screening Service. The ministry expects these changes to benefit millions of people.

Expanded Telemedicine Services

The revised Rules of Medical Diagnosis and Treatment by Telecommunications will expand the scope of services to include ten categories. These categories include patients enrolled in chronic disease care programs, hospice care for those with terminal illnesses, correctional facility care, mobility-impaired care, and care for disaster, infectious disease, or other significant events. Approximately 2.47 million people are projected to benefit from these changes.

Home Emergency Care and Child Development Screening
The Home Emergency Care Program will target three major groups: general emergency patients, care facility residents, and home medical cases. It will cover home emergency care for pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and soft tissue infections. Over 5,000 people are expected to benefit from this program.

Starting July 1, the Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛福部國健署) will provide six development screenings for children under seven years old.

In the second half of 2024, an estimated 400,000 children will benefit from this service.

Intelligent Decision-Making System for Social Workers and Cosmetic Regulation Changes
The "Intelligent Decision-Making System for Social Workers" will incorporate database integration and big data applications to provide risk warning models, intelligent maps, case visit records, mobile family tree drawings, and real-time alerts. About 5,000 social workers are expected to use this platform.

Meanwhile, the registration system for specific-use cosmetics will be abolished. These products can be marketed after product registration and establishing product information files.

The National Health Insurance Administration (健保署) will also provide one-time, pre-established medical consultations for patients over 65 with severe injuries, mild dementia inpatients, announced incurable diseases, and home-integrated care plan service targets.

Approximately 81,000 people will benefit from this, with a one-time payment of 3,000 points, costing an estimated 245 million points.