Cross-caucus talks on migrant caregiver eligibility end in stalemate

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Lawmakers on Thursday sent draft legal revisions that seek to waive a Barthel Index evaluation for Taiwan nationals aged 80 and older as a prerequisite for hiring migrant domestic caregivers to a full session of the Legislature for further deliberation after failing to reach consensus.

The bills, sponsored by lawmakers from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), were discussed during cross-caucus negotiations held by the Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee.

The proposal to cancel the requirement to pass a Barthel Index evaluation for seniors aged 80 and older was first put forward by New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) when he was campaigning as the KMT candidate for the presidency last year.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate, and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) later made pledges to relax the rules on the Barthel Index evaluation and to allow more leniency in the assessment.

DPP Legislator Wang Cheng-hsu (王正旭) expressed concern that waiving the evaluation would crowd out severely ill people who are most in need of migrant domestic caregivers.

Wang, a physician, said severely ill people are difficult to care for and their families often struggle to keep domestic caregivers.

The proposed measure could incentivize some families that can take care of seniors without the help of caregivers to encroach on the needs of those in desperate need of assistance, Wang said.

DPP Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said the proposed policy could negatively impact the long-term care system, undermining the government's current policy direction.

Referring to an expanded eligibility scheme for hiring migrant domestic caregivers that came into force in October last year, Lin said the policy eliminates the need for a legal revision to further relax the rules.

The expanded eligibility scheme allowed families with members suffering from dementia, breathing or swallowing difficulties, or those that have used long-term care for at least six months to hire live-in migrant caregivers. It also broadened accessibility to the service for people with rare diseases and mental or physical disabilities.

However, KMT Legislator Wang Yu-min (王育敏), who co-chairs the committee, said that recruiting domestic caregivers is a "supplemental" policy to the long-term care system, and she does not believe the proposed measure will have that great an impact on long-term care facilities.

KMT Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉) pointed to the considerable cost of hiring a live-in caregiver, arguing that only those with a genuine need would be prepared to pay the high cost.

Given the lack of middle ground among lawmakers, Wang announced that the bills will be set aside for further deliberation at a full session of the Legislature.

If passed, about 530,000 Taiwanese will be eligible under the policy proposal, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.