Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
September 1, 2011 [Liberty Times Reporter Yang Qingqing / Kaohsiung Report]
Supervisory Commissioner Huang Huangxiong has long been concerned about the National Health Insurance (NHI) issue. After years of accumulated investigations, he lamented that many primary care physicians no longer wish to practice general medicine, instead transitioning to establish hemodialysis (kidney dialysis) centers, as relying on machines to earn money yields better income than treating colds and fevers. Nephrologists, however, have refuted this claim.
Huang Huangxiong's investigation found that the average income of dialysis physicians is more than double that of other doctors, making them the "most lucrative" specialists in Taiwan.
In this extensive 400-plus-page report, the monthly salary of attending physicians at regional hospitals and above is approximately NT$300,000, with an annual income of around NT$4 to 5 million. However, the average income of dialysis physicians is at least twice that of other attending physicians. He argued that the high income of dialysis physicians is unreasonable and called for an adjustment to the NHI budget expenditure structure. As a result of this report, the NHI reimbursement rate for dialysis was reduced to 0.83, meaning each dialysis session is reimbursed at NT$3,407.
The interaction between dialysis centers and patients is also quite subtle—this is no secret. To prevent patients from switching facilities, dialysis centers often provide incentives such as nutritional supplements or even condolence payments.
In response to Commissioner Huang Huangxiong's remarks, Chen Hongjun, Director of Nephrology at Kaohsiung Medical University and Executive Director of the Taiwan Society of Nephrology, stated that this reflects the commissioner's misunderstanding of nephrologists. He emphasized that the high income does not equate to direct profit, as establishing a dialysis center requires enduring losses for at least the first three years due to investments in equipment, supplies, personnel, and rent. Only if patient numbers grow sufficiently to break even by the fourth year can income be realized—and many physicians who transition to dialysis centers ultimately face bankruptcy.
Taiwan has the highest number of dialysis patients globally, but this is not the fault of nephrologists. Rather, Taiwan's dialysis equipment and quality surpass those of other countries, allowing patients to maintain dialysis for an average of over ten years. This should be commended, yet outsiders scrutinize it under a magnifying glass. Additionally, dialysis centers operate in three shifts daily—morning, noon, and evening—with patients typically scheduled on Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday rotations. The lifestyle of dialysis physicians is demanding, and patient care is arduous.
Source: http://n. yam. com/ tlt/ healthy/ 201109/ 20110901505552. html
Dialysis Profits? Supervisors Criticize Nephrologists' High Income
Supervisory Commissioner Huang Huangxiong has long been concerned about the National Health Insurance (NHI) issue. After years of accumulated investigations, he lamented that many primary care physicians no longer wish to practice general medicine, instead transitioning to establish hemodialysis (kidney dialysis) centers, as relying on machines to earn money yields better income than treating colds and fevers. Nephrologists, however, have refuted this claim.
Huang Huangxiong's investigation found that the average income of dialysis physicians is more than double that of other doctors, making them the "most lucrative" specialists in Taiwan.
In this extensive 400-plus-page report, the monthly salary of attending physicians at regional hospitals and above is approximately NT$300,000, with an annual income of around NT$4 to 5 million. However, the average income of dialysis physicians is at least twice that of other attending physicians. He argued that the high income of dialysis physicians is unreasonable and called for an adjustment to the NHI budget expenditure structure. As a result of this report, the NHI reimbursement rate for dialysis was reduced to 0.83, meaning each dialysis session is reimbursed at NT$3,407.
The interaction between dialysis centers and patients is also quite subtle—this is no secret. To prevent patients from switching facilities, dialysis centers often provide incentives such as nutritional supplements or even condolence payments.
In response to Commissioner Huang Huangxiong's remarks, Chen Hongjun, Director of Nephrology at Kaohsiung Medical University and Executive Director of the Taiwan Society of Nephrology, stated that this reflects the commissioner's misunderstanding of nephrologists. He emphasized that the high income does not equate to direct profit, as establishing a dialysis center requires enduring losses for at least the first three years due to investments in equipment, supplies, personnel, and rent. Only if patient numbers grow sufficiently to break even by the fourth year can income be realized—and many physicians who transition to dialysis centers ultimately face bankruptcy.
Taiwan has the highest number of dialysis patients globally, but this is not the fault of nephrologists. Rather, Taiwan's dialysis equipment and quality surpass those of other countries, allowing patients to maintain dialysis for an average of over ten years. This should be commended, yet outsiders scrutinize it under a magnifying glass. Additionally, dialysis centers operate in three shifts daily—morning, noon, and evening—with patients typically scheduled on Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday rotations. The lifestyle of dialysis physicians is demanding, and patient care is arduous.
Source: http://n. yam. com/ tlt/ healthy/ 201109/ 20110901505552. html