Breast cancer exhibits the highest incidence rate of all female cancers. To emphasize prevention and optimize treatment outcomes, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has launched the Breast Cancer Care Quality Improvement Program. The program aims to enroll 80% of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients into the healthcare system. The NHIA will allocate approximately NT$40 million to incentivize participation from medical institutions that follow the latest treatment guidelines and provide continuous care.
According to the 2023 Cancer Registry Annual Report, 17,000 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer, and the 5-year survival rate for late-stage cases is about 40%. Breast cancer incidence has increased faster than that of any other cancer over the past decade. In response, the NHIA convened a breast cancer expert team to establish the “Breast Cancer Care Quality Improvement Program”.
Key implementation strategies include:
- Inclusion of All Stages: The program covers all newly diagnosed or first-recurrence breast cancer patients (including male patients), ensuring comprehensive support and care from the outset.
- Multidisciplinary Team Services: Patient will benefit from a one-stop consultation and nursing guidance service provided by a team of breast surgeons, diagnostic radiologists, and case managers. Incentives will be provided to healthcare institutions for the comprehensive care of newly enrolled patients and for annual follow-up care (up to five years for disease-free patients).
- National-level big data database: Using clinical care data from participating hospitals, the NHIA will establish a national breast cancer care database to identify gaps in treatment and refine care guidelines.
- Value-based payment: A tiered incentive model is applied to reward institutions that form multidisciplinary teams and achieve quality indicators, aiming to elevate overall care quality.
Director General Lian-Yu Chen emphasized that early detection and treatment can raise the 5-year survival rate of breast cancer to over 90%. The NHI is the strongest supporter for all breast cancer patients. With professional medical teams, the NHIA will ensure comprehensive care, enhance treatment quality, and optimize payment schemes for new therapies.