Health insurance coverage to include more types of surgery
2008-12-26
Health insurance coverage will be expanded next year to pay for expensive types of surgery benefiting more than 200,000 patients, the Bureau of National Health Insurance announced yesterday.
The plan will cover an additional 23 types of surgery, benefit 230,000 patients, and cost NT$340 million, BNHI official Li Chun-fu told the media.
The new types of surgery covered will include the implant of chips against Parkinson's disease. One operation costs close to NT$1 million, making it only affordable to a limited number of wealthy patients, doctors said. Surgeons sometimes helped patients to apply for interest-free loans just to finance the operation, reports said. Out of a total of 40,000 Parkinson's patients in Taiwan, about 10,000 are suitable to receive an implant.
Photodynamic therapy against certain types of cancer is another treatment that will be covered by health insurance later in 2009, the BNHI said. One treatment costs an estimated NT$350,000, and includes the use of light to destroy cancer cells treated with photosensitizers. Pancreas transplants for Type 1 diabetes patients are another treatment likely to be included in the health insurance list, officials said. About 38 patients are now in line for the surgery, which allows sufferers to stop the lifelong daily insulin injections most diabetes patients need.
Beneficiaries of the expanded insurance coverage also include heart disease sufferers. Temporary relief while they're waiting for a heart transplant operation will be paid back under the health insurance system, officials said.
Reference:http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=822381&lang=eng_news |
