President Lai Ching-te skirted a debate over reform of Taiwan's National
Health Insurance premiums this morning while enumerating the three main
targets for the NHI going forward -- namely increasing the quality of medical
care, retaining medical talent by increasing salaries ... and increasing
flexibility of medical reimbursements.

Lai attended the opening of Taiwan Medical Week, noting that the NHI budget
grew by 5.5 percent last year by one measure and by more than 8 percent when
factoring in NT$18 billion in public funds. He said that's the highest growth
rate in the NHI's history ... and the targeted rate this year is also 5.5
percent. Including public funds, he said that will take the budget to over
NT$1 trillion.

An NHI supplementary premium reform plan has sparked controversy, and the
Executive Yuan has issued a temporary halt. A medical association official
called on Lai to ensure the success of NHI reform in a speech that preceded
the president's.

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