TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部) announced on Wednesday (Oct. 2) that electricity costs should be included in the National Health Insurance Global Budget negotiations.
However, Hung Tzu-jen (洪子仁), president of the Taiwan College of Healthcare Executive (台灣醫務管理學會), argued that the Medical Consumer Price Index (MCPI) used in these negotiations is a lagging indicator.
Hung called for amending the "Electricity Act" (電業法) to make medical institutions the lowest tariff category to cope with a 14% electricity rate hike.
Liu Yu-ching (劉玉菁), deputy director of the Ministry's Department of Medical Affairs, emphasized that allocating public budgets to offset the impact of rising electricity prices on medical institutions requires a legitimate basis, but these institutions are not protected under the current "Electricity Act."
During "National Health Insurance Global Budget" (健保總額) negotiations, factors like population structure and the MCPI are included to estimate the growth rate for the following year. Hung pointed out that while the MCPI includes electricity cost increases, its calculation method fails to reflect the reality of four electricity rate hikes in the past three years, averaging a 42.9% increase.
Eight major medical associations jointly urged the government to allocate public budgets to subsidize hospital electricity costs to ease operational pressures. Hung stressed that to achieve this goal, legislators should propose amending Article 52 of the "Electricity Act" to include medical institutions as the lowest tariff category, allowing the MOHW to lawfully budget for hospital electricity subsidies.
Hung warned that amending the law is a long-term solution. After next year's 14% electricity rate hike, Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital's (新光醫院) electricity costs will exceed NT$90 million, posing significant pressure on hospital operators.
He emphasized that hospitals, unlike other industries, cannot pass on rising costs due to revenue limits set by the National Health Insurance Global Budget and fixed payment standards.
