NHI to open in-home acute care program to hospice patients: Official

Taipei, Sept. 12 (CNA) The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) plans to allow hospice patients to access a program offering NHI-covered in-home acute care services, possibly from the first quarter of 2025, the agency director said Thursday.

Since the launch of a trial in-home acute care program in July, care has been provided to 255 patients, many of them over the age of 75, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said at a medical conference.

The patients received care for brief but severe episodes of illness including urinary tract infections, pneumonia and soft tissue infections, Shih said, adding that nearly 90 percent of those treated saw their symptoms improve and did not need to be admitted to hospital.

The program relies on a combination of telemedicine, equipment to remotely monitor vital signs and bedside testing, according to the NHIA.

Looking ahead, Shih said the agency plans to expand the trial program to include hospice recipients, such as late-stage cancer patients experiencing pain or extreme weight loss.

An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people would benefit from the coverage expansion, which could begin as early as the first quarter of 2025, Shih said.

The NHIA's in-home acute care program is part of a broader effort by Taiwan's government to streamline medical services as it deals with a rapidly aging population.

According to government data from 2022, people in Taiwan aged 65 and above comprised 17.3 percent of the population, but accounted for 41.57 percent of medical expenditures.

Taiwan is on track to become a "super-aged society" - one in which at least 21 percent of the population is aged 65 or above - by 2025.