Wednesday, May 17, 2006
The Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) lastly decided to plug one of the loopholes that have been consumption away the insurance premiums paid by taxpayers. Officials announced a far-reaching plan to crack down on almost 1,000 pharmacies in fact operated by or even affiliated with hospitals or clinics themselves.
Huang Chao-ming, a expert of the BNHI under the Department of Health (DOH), said yesterday at a push conference held in Tainan of southern Taiwan that the so-called "front door pharmacies" united with hospitals or clinics are necessary to hand back the certificates issued to "independent pharmacies" before the end of this June.
They should also revisit the "excess premium payment" for the January-April period this year previous to the June 30 deadline, Huang said.
Those complying with the directive would be exempt from prosecution. Otherwise, Huang said, charges of fraud and forgery would be filed against doctors, pharmacists, or additional medical workers running these pharmacies. Those convicted will face a utmost imprisonment of five years, according to the regulations. Unlike the "independent pharmacies," Huang explained, the "front door pharmacies" are recognized right in front of the gates of hospitals or clinics, or nearby, by the medical organization or medical workers themselves.
Hospitals and clinics are allowable to collect NT$49 -- NT$24 as medical service fee and NT$25 as analysis fee for releasing the prescriptions to pharmacies -- from the BNHI for every medical treatment case.
BNHI officials said such fees are future for "independent pharmacies" as part of the integrated medical repair network in Taiwan.
However, the pharmacies allied with the hospitals or clinics are currently also collecting the money from the bureau.
Huang said those known as "front door pharmacies" with ties to hospitals or clinics must not draw the payment from the premiums paid by taxpayers.
Such "excess premium payment" at present runs up to about NT$1.6 billion a year.
posted by kanth
@ 2:13 AM
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