medical coverage 結果共4筆

Wowprime Corp. offers full refunds and medical expense coverage for customers affected by suspected norovirus outbreak at Taipei Truewow and Hsiang La Spicy Hotpot restaurants from April 2-6. Company apologizes, introduces care plans, and proactively contacts domestic and international customers.

The National Health Insurance (NHI) Administration in Taiwan has announced the approval of new applications for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) treatment coverage. This decision comes after the passing of lawyer Chen Chun-han, a prominent advocate for wider medication coverage for SMA. SMA is a progressive neuro-muscular degenerative disease caused by a mutation in the SMN1 gene, impacting muscle functionality and activities such as sitting, walking, speaking, breathing, and eating. The NHI Administration has included the gene therapy drug Zolgensma, which carries a price tag of NT＄49 million, in its benefits since the second half of 2023. The criteria for medication eligibility include an upper limb motor function index (RULM) score of at least 15. There are over 400 SMA patients in Taiwan, and by the end of 2023, 158 people applied for medication, with 145 approvals. The NHI Administration plans to hold an expert meeting in March to discuss expanding access to the drugs for all SMA patients, with a potential approval in the first half of 2024.

Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare, Hsueh Jui-yuan, has announced significant increases in subsidies for dedicated pediatricians starting in 2024. The ＂2023 Plan to Optimize Pediatric Medical Care＂ aims to improve the quality of pediatric care and attract more young practitioners to the field. The subsidy for physicians specializing in the care of each young child will double from NT$500 to NT$1,000. The optimization plan, with a total budget of NT$2.8 billion, will run from 2021 to 2024, with NT$2 billion allocated for 2024 alone. The implementation of the dedicated pediatrician system across the nation underscores the investment made in this critical healthcare sector. Currently, 22 counties and municipalities have implemented the dedicated pediatrician system for children aged 0 to 3, and since November, it has expanded to include newborns. There are currently 1,882 dedicated pediatricians serving over 184,000 young children across 1,048 medical institutions, bringing the national coverage rate to 40.5%.

Taipei Show Chwan Hospital Director Cheng Cheng-chieh incurred a substantial medical bill and received minimal compensation from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) after suffering two broken ribs in a skiing accident in the US. Despite being treated at the largest emergency room in Anchorage for over six hours, Cheng only had a six-minute conversation with doctors. The most significant charge on his bill, which totaled approximately NTD＄500,000, was NTD＄280,000 for computed tomography (CT) scans. Upon returning to Taiwan, Cheng applied for overseas medical coverage from the NHI and was only reimbursed NTD $3,704, a stark contrast to the estimated cost of emergency care in Taiwan. Cheng’s experience highlights the financial risks of high medical costs abroad that are not fully covered by Taiwan’s health insurance system.