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China’s ‘inclusion’ in NHI draws fire
‘VERY DANGEROUS’: KMT legislators panned an idea discussed
by Yaung Chih-liang, who said he was not certain it would be covered in next
month’s cross-strait talks
By Shelley Huang
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, May 15, 2010, Page 1
In a rare moment of agreement, lawmakers from either side of the blue-green
divide yesterday voiced opposition to a purported government plan to expand the
National Health Insurance (NHI) system to medical institutions in China to allow
Taiwanese living there more convenient access to medical care.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it would be
“ridiculous” to include Chinese hospitals in the NHI system.
It would be “practically unfeasible” for the health ministry to cover hospitals
in China in the NHI, and doing so would also be illegal, KMT caucus
secretary-general Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) told a press conference yesterday, adding
that Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) “forgot that he
is a political appointee and often makes the wrong remarks at the wrong time and
the wrong place.”
Lin was referring to Yaung’s remarks reported by the Chinese-language Liberty
Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) and the Central News Agency (CNA) that
quoted him as saying on Thursday night that the issue of whether certain Chinese
hospitals would be conditionally included in the NHI system may be on the agenda
for discussion during the sixth round of cross-strait negotiations.
The CNA report quoted Yaung as saying that during a meeting with Chinese Deputy
Health Minister Huang Jiefu (黃潔夫) earlier this year, he had discussed
cross-strait health issues, including the possibility of incorporating Chinese
hospitals into Taiwan’s health insurance system. Huang was quoted by the CNA as
saying that it would serve the interests of Taiwanese businesspeople living in
China.
Commenting on the reports, KMT Legislator Hsu Shu-po (�?�), of the legislature’s
Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, yesterday described the
proposal as “very dangerous,” while KMT Legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池) said
Yaung often brought himself trouble with reckless statements and should be
careful not to talk about plans in their early stages.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) said Yaung
would ruin a program that has already run up a huge debt by paying for medical
fees in China with Taiwan’s funds. Another DPP lawmaker, Twu Shiing-jer (�?�),
said Yaung should cut the red tape for claiming compensation rather than
enrolling Chinese hospitals in the program.
DPP spokesperson Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) issued a statement saying that “the
president [Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)] is selling out Taiwan’s health insurance, an
issue of which we are now aware because of Yaung.”
Lin also raised concern that such a proposal would unfairly benefit Taiwanese
businesspeople in China, calling it another example of the Ma government
creating policies to benefit business interests.
Civic group and non-governmental organization representatives also voiced
criticism, panning the minister for bringing up this topic before the second
generation health plan has even been passed in the legislature.
Yaung yesterday denied he was in favor of including Chinese hospitals in
Taiwan’s national health insurance program.
“Nowhere [in the report] does it say that I plan to open up [the system to
Chinese medical institutions],” he said.
“It is an old issue, but there is no question of enrolling Chinese hospitals
into our national health insurance program for the time being, given that it has
not even been put on the agenda of the sixth round of cross-strait
negotiations,” he said, adding that the DOH was “not certain whether this issue
will be broached” during the cross-strait talks slated for next month.
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