Under the DRGs mechanism, patients receiving the same medical treatment are put in the same category, and hospitals caring for the patients will get the same reimbursement from the National Health Insurance (NHI) program.
The MOHW had planned to roll out the DRGs system on March 1, but the launch date will now be in the hands of President-elect Tsai Ing-wens administration.
The authority issued a press release last night, saying that there has been both positive and negative feedback from the public.
The ICD-10 codes introduced in January have caused much hassle. The number of patients has also surged with the approaching Chinese New Year. Together they have created computer system problems in clinics and hospitals.
Given that the medical community has voiced objection over the DRGs system, the MOHW said it had decided to halt the program.
Objection from Both KMT and DPP
In the company of Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Liou Chien-kuo , Li Ying-yuan and Lin Ching-yi, Taiwan Medical Association held a press conference Tuesday to ask for the DRGs systems delayed implementation. The medical community needs more time to adjust to the new system, they said.
The Kuomintang (KMT) also invited medical and government representatives to a conciliation session yesterday. The “caretaker government” is not advised to introduce new policies now, KMT lawmaker Lin Te-fu said, adding that it is agreed across party lines that the DRGs system be postponed.
DRGs is a system to classify hospital cases into groups, and the intent was to identify the “products” that a hospital provides.
Besides disease and treatment types, age, gender, presence of complications, etc. are also factored into categorization.
Patients within each category are clinically similar and are expected to use the same level of hospital resources. Based on past experience, the NHI decides the amount of reimbursement provided to hospitals for each category.
Under the current system, the amount of reimbursement a hospital receives is in direct proportion to “the amount of work” provided.
The DRGs system, which has been used in the U.S. for years, is expected to enhance health service quality.
It allows for comparison for the same type of service provided across hospitals, and can allegedly reduce redundant check-ups and surgery, according to the MOHWs National Health Insurance Administration.
More Information on China Post