To further improve healthcare quality, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) will include the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) and rechargeable deep brain stimulator (DBS) in the NHI payment package starting September 1, 2024. The NHI program is estimated to invest approximately 76.5 million points for this new measure.
The cardioverter defibrillator is a critical medical device for preventing sudden cardiac death. Since 2003, the NHI program has included the transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), used in cardiac defibrillation to treat life-threatening ventricular tachycardia, in its payment package. However, for patients who are ineligible for traditional transvenous ICDs—such as those with venous vascular access anomalies or those who are too young—the S-ICD is necessary for similar treatments. Once included in the NHI package, each S-ICD set will cost 950,000 points. Approximately 30 patients will benefit from this inclusion each year, translating to around 28.5 million points in annual expenses for the NHI program.
On the other hand, for patients with dystonia who do not respond well to drug or botulinum toxin treatments, deep brain stimulation has been empirically proven to be the most effective option. However, this treatment requires significant power, making a rechargeable deep brain stimulator (DBS) ideal for enhancing treatment effectiveness. Given that most patients with dystonia are relatively young, the onset of movement disorders often places a heavy burden on families in terms of caregiving and financial support. To address this, the NHIA is providing a more clinically effective treatment option. In collaboration with clinical neurologists and licensed medical material providers, rechargeable DBS sets are now included in the NHI payment package. For each set, the NHI program will cover 834,310 points, benefiting approximately 58 patients each year, with an estimated annual expenditure of around 48 million points.
To meet the people's basic healthcare needs and ensure the health and welfare for all the insured, Director General Chung-Liang Shih said the NHIA shall continue to strive for a higher NHI budget. Moreover, the NHIA shall keep working on including new medical materials that are empirically proven to be effective and are therefore in high clinical demands to the NHI package. The inclusion of such medical materials helps to reduce patients' financial burden, enhance healthcare value, and improve people's health. The NHIA welcomes all suggestions regarding the inclusion of new medical materials in the NHI payment package. With relevant suggestions, the NHIA shall be able to continue improving the quality of healthcare and safeguarding the health and welfare of the people.