Blue and white practice the "old blessing method" evilly! Seven major medical groups once again expressed their call to "fix the broken window"

Blue and White recently pushed forward the amendment to Article 22 of the "Elderly Welfare Act", which has caused two major problems, including undermining the spirit of health insurance and deleting protections for vulnerable elderly people. Now that the deadline for the Executive Yuan to express its position is approaching, medical groups have issued statements one after another expressing their opposition to the amendment. Today, seven major medical groups, including the Taiwan Medical Management Association, once again expressed their opinions, recommending that the Executive Yuan and the Legislative Yuan face up to the concerns of all walks of life before deliberation, and invite relevant groups to participate in the discussion.

Hong Ziren, chairman of the Taiwan Medical Management Association, said that the Executive Yuan will further process the amendment to the "Old Welfare Law" at the latest on the 6th. Therefore, the association and other seven major groups hope to reiterate the core view of exempting health insurance premiums for the elderly over 65 years old before then. The medical community does not talk about political wrangling, but only wants to express that "health insurance is not a welfare." Such a policy destroys the spirit of pay-as-you-go and risk-sharing, and is absolutely wrong.

Hong Ziren emphasized that in the past, local governments made mistakes by subsidizing the elderly’s health insurance premiums based on age, which led to a broken window effect. Now they have made mistakes again and again. Relevant groups hope to close the broken window at this time. Otherwise, the number of elderly people over 65 years old in Taiwan will exceed 50% in 2075. If this legislative amendment is really enacted, it will mean that almost half of the people in Taiwan will not have to pay premiums, and the spirit of financial sustainability of health insurance will be gone.

In addition, Hong Ziren said that in the future, if government subsidies are not enough to support the gap in elderly health insurance premium subsidies, the insured will eventually have to bear it, and all patients, including the elderly, will suffer. Young patients have clearly paid the premiums, but they cannot get better care. The elderly may seem to be receiving benefits at first glance, but in fact they do not enjoy better medical resources. This will have the opposite effect of "rich elderly people being exempted from paying and disadvantaged elderly people missing out."

Former Director of National Health Insurance Li Bozhang also pointed out that this time the central government will subsidize premiums. Whether there will be stable financial resources was not stated when the law was revised. It is currently estimated that the new system will increase expenditures by 38.8 billion yuan. When the elderly account for more than 35% in 2049, this will expand to more than 60 billion yuan.

The Taiwan Hospital Association, Taiwan Private Medical Institutions Association, Taiwan Medical Management Association, Taiwan Medical Center Association, Regional Hospital Association of the Republic of China, Taiwan Community Hospital Association, Taiwan Medical Association Association, etc. also emphasized in the statement that regardless of whether local governments competed to subsidize the elderly health care premiums in the past, or this time it is borne by the central government, as long as it harms the sustainability of health insurance, it should be reviewed.

Seven major groups also mentioned that if health insurance continues to be regarded as a "cash machine" and the payment-free policy continues to increase, the spirit of mutual assistance and the institutional foundation of insurance may gradually collapse. It is recommended that the Executive Yuan and the Legislative Yuan face up to the concerns of all walks of life and deliberate carefully, and invite the medical community, the National Health Insurance Association, actuarial and financial scholars, the elderly and youth groups to jointly discuss and hold public hearings to re-examine the subsidy objects, financial resources and matching packages, and not to make hasty decisions.