Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
Update Date: 2010/02/24 22:16
Many people mistake the tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) at traditional Chinese medicine clinics for relaxing massages. Since it's covered by health insurance, patients only need to pay 100 NTD, which is several times cheaper than going to a massage parlor. However, starting in April, patients receiving tuina treatment at TCM clinics must have the entire session performed by a licensed TCM physician; otherwise, the health insurance won’t cover it. This regulation is aimed at protecting patients, as having assistants perform tuina could lead to accidental injuries.
Ms. Chen, a nurse with scoliosis, previously relied on tuina assistants for treatment, only to find her condition worsening. An X-ray revealed such severe deterioration that even the doctor shook his head in dismay. Now, terrified, Ms. Chen insists on having a licensed TCM physician adjust her bones. At this TCM clinic, the seven or eight beds are often fully booked, but to avoid problems caused by assistant-performed tuina, physicians handle all treatments themselves. Even a slight mistake could leave patients struggling to walk.
Yet, some clinics still rely on experienced tuina assistants to retain their clientele. With health insurance coverage, patients only paid 100 NTD to enjoy a full session with an assistant. Now, with insurance no longer covering it and treatments switching to self-pay, clinics have posted new pricing: meridian massages cost 800 NTD, and foot reflexology costs 500 NTD per hour. This change has clinics worried about losing customers.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 100224/ 69/ 20zag. html
Non-TCM Massage Not Covered by Health Insurance!
Many people mistake the tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) at traditional Chinese medicine clinics for relaxing massages. Since it's covered by health insurance, patients only need to pay 100 NTD, which is several times cheaper than going to a massage parlor. However, starting in April, patients receiving tuina treatment at TCM clinics must have the entire session performed by a licensed TCM physician; otherwise, the health insurance won’t cover it. This regulation is aimed at protecting patients, as having assistants perform tuina could lead to accidental injuries.
Ms. Chen, a nurse with scoliosis, previously relied on tuina assistants for treatment, only to find her condition worsening. An X-ray revealed such severe deterioration that even the doctor shook his head in dismay. Now, terrified, Ms. Chen insists on having a licensed TCM physician adjust her bones. At this TCM clinic, the seven or eight beds are often fully booked, but to avoid problems caused by assistant-performed tuina, physicians handle all treatments themselves. Even a slight mistake could leave patients struggling to walk.
Yet, some clinics still rely on experienced tuina assistants to retain their clientele. With health insurance coverage, patients only paid 100 NTD to enjoy a full session with an assistant. Now, with insurance no longer covering it and treatments switching to self-pay, clinics have posted new pricing: meridian massages cost 800 NTD, and foot reflexology costs 500 NTD per hour. This change has clinics worried about losing customers.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 100224/ 69/ 20zag. html
2010/02/25 13:29