Opposition Proposes Reinstating Registration Fee Cap, Shi Chongliang: Most Fees Unchanged, No Obstacle to Medical Access
The opposition party in Taiwan proposes reinstating a cap on medical registration fees. Minister of Health and Welfare, Shi Chongliang, stated that 85% of clinics have not significantly raised fees, hence not hindering medical access.
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- 📰 Published: May 2, 2026 at 19:25
- 🔍 Collected: May 2, 2026 at 19:31 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 2, 2026 at 19:34 (2 min after Collected)
Central News Agency (Taipei, May 2nd) — Regarding the opposition party's proposal to amend the law to reinstate the cap on medical registration fees, Minister of Health and Welfare Shi Chongliang said today that currently 85% of medical institutions nationwide still charge less than NT$150 for registration fees. Influenced by market competition, overall changes have been minimal and have not yet caused obstacles to medical access. He suggested that reviewing self-paid items might be more effective.
According to the Medical Care Act, medical service fees should be approved by the municipal or county (city) competent authority. However, registration fees are considered administrative management fees and do not require approval from health authorities. During the period when the Ministry of Health and Welfare was still the Department of Health, to prevent excessive disparities in medical institutions' fee standards, a reference range for medical institutions' registration fees was announced in 2010, with an outpatient cap of NT$150. Fees exceeding this range required reporting to local health bureaus for record.
Later, considering urban-rural disparities, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced in March 2024 the cessation of application for the "Reference Range for Medical Institutions' Registration Fees," effective immediately. Medical institutions' registration fees are no longer subject to the national unified outpatient cap of NT$150.
Recently, 18 Kuomintang (KMT) legislators proposed an amendment to Article 21 of the Medical Care Act, demanding that "standards for medical service fees and administrative fees charged by medical institutions shall be approved by the municipal or county (city) competent authority."
In response, Shi Chongliang stated today afternoon during a media interview at an event that after the abolition of the registration fee cap, statistics from the National Health Insurance Administration show that among more than 20,000 medical institutions nationwide, approximately 85% still have registration fees below NT$150. Only about 2,000 institutions charge more than NT$150, with most of these caps falling around NT$250. The increases are mainly concentrated in clinics in northern metropolitan areas or large and medium-sized hospitals, which has not affected the accessibility of medical care.
Shi Chongliang frankly stated that competition among grassroots clinics is fierce, and medical institutions generally consider various factors when adjusting registration fees. Current observations indicate stable trends in changes, which have not yet caused obstacles for the public to seek medical treatment. The National Health Insurance Administration has made information on registration fees charged by various institutions public through its NHI Express App, and all contracted institutions are required to report their fees to ensure transparency.
In addition to registration fees, current administrative fees, Shi Chongliang pointed out, also include items like copying medical records and applying for data. Amending the law solely for registration fees would have little practical significance. The government is closely monitoring fee trends, and currently, there appear to be no issues. The focus of review will be placed on other self-paid projects, which might yield more practical benefits.
Furthermore, to address the issue of declining birth rates, the government plans to expand the "National Nurturing Program for Children aged 0-6," which includes studying the expansion of eligibility for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Child and Youth Future Education and Development Account.
Shi Chongliang stated that the account primarily targets disadvantaged groups such as low-income households, lower-middle-income households, and vulnerable families. It helps vulnerable children and youth accumulate savings for their future growth through a 1:1 matching contribution from households and the government. However, based on past experience, it still faces challenges such as a bottleneck in account opening rates and issues regarding deposit amounts that require further discussion.
Shi Chongliang said that the Ministry of Health and Welfare is currently conducting a comprehensive review, and "expanding the scope of application" has been included in this review. Once the overall plan is fully developed, detailed content will be officially reported to the public. (Editor: Li Shuhua) 1150502
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According to the Medical Care Act, medical service fees should be approved by the municipal or county (city) competent authority. However, registration fees are considered administrative management fees and do not require approval from health authorities. During the period when the Ministry of Health and Welfare was still the Department of Health, to prevent excessive disparities in medical institutions' fee standards, a reference range for medical institutions' registration fees was announced in 2010, with an outpatient cap of NT$150. Fees exceeding this range required reporting to local health bureaus for record.
Later, considering urban-rural disparities, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced in March 2024 the cessation of application for the "Reference Range for Medical Institutions' Registration Fees," effective immediately. Medical institutions' registration fees are no longer subject to the national unified outpatient cap of NT$150.
Recently, 18 Kuomintang (KMT) legislators proposed an amendment to Article 21 of the Medical Care Act, demanding that "standards for medical service fees and administrative fees charged by medical institutions shall be approved by the municipal or county (city) competent authority."
In response, Shi Chongliang stated today afternoon during a media interview at an event that after the abolition of the registration fee cap, statistics from the National Health Insurance Administration show that among more than 20,000 medical institutions nationwide, approximately 85% still have registration fees below NT$150. Only about 2,000 institutions charge more than NT$150, with most of these caps falling around NT$250. The increases are mainly concentrated in clinics in northern metropolitan areas or large and medium-sized hospitals, which has not affected the accessibility of medical care.
Shi Chongliang frankly stated that competition among grassroots clinics is fierce, and medical institutions generally consider various factors when adjusting registration fees. Current observations indicate stable trends in changes, which have not yet caused obstacles for the public to seek medical treatment. The National Health Insurance Administration has made information on registration fees charged by various institutions public through its NHI Express App, and all contracted institutions are required to report their fees to ensure transparency.
In addition to registration fees, current administrative fees, Shi Chongliang pointed out, also include items like copying medical records and applying for data. Amending the law solely for registration fees would have little practical significance. The government is closely monitoring fee trends, and currently, there appear to be no issues. The focus of review will be placed on other self-paid projects, which might yield more practical benefits.
Furthermore, to address the issue of declining birth rates, the government plans to expand the "National Nurturing Program for Children aged 0-6," which includes studying the expansion of eligibility for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Child and Youth Future Education and Development Account.
Shi Chongliang stated that the account primarily targets disadvantaged groups such as low-income households, lower-middle-income households, and vulnerable families. It helps vulnerable children and youth accumulate savings for their future growth through a 1:1 matching contribution from households and the government. However, based on past experience, it still faces challenges such as a bottleneck in account opening rates and issues regarding deposit amounts that require further discussion.
Shi Chongliang said that the Ministry of Health and Welfare is currently conducting a comprehensive review, and "expanding the scope of application" has been included in this review. Once the overall plan is fully developed, detailed content will be officially reported to the public. (Editor: Li Shuhua) 1150502
Choose to stand with facts; your every sponsorship is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.