To improve care continuity for patients with infectious diseases receiving treatment outside the hospital, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) approved two key measures at the Medical Service Benefit and Reimbursement Scheme Joint Committee Meeting on March 26, 2026:
- OPAT Extension: the Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Incentive Program has been amended to extend the maximum therapy duration from 5 days to 7 days.
- Early Discharge Model: the NHIA is introducing an "Early Discharge Model" under the Acute Hospital Care at Home (ACAH) Program. Inpatients with infectious diseases who have mobility limitations or difficulty accessing medical care may be discharged early and continue therapy at home or in care facilities, provided they are assessed as clinically stable and suitable for home-based care.
Director-General Lian-Yu Chen noted that since its launch on August 1, 2025, the OPAT Program has successfully integrated antimicrobial treatment resources across inpatient, emergency, and outpatient settings. This integration has reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and improving overall bed utilization. For instance, National Taiwan University Hospital reported a 17% reduction in monthly hospital bed occupancy through its OPAT Center, significantly enhancing healthcare system resilience. In addition, to provide physicians with more antimicrobial selection options, portable infusion devices were included on November 1, 2025. This allows for timely treatment adjustments based on clinical conditions while maintaining infection control.
From August 2025 to February 2026, 210 institutions (105 hospitals and 105 clinics) participated in the OPAT program, submitting 8,107 treatment plans and benefiting 5,710 patients. To ensure proper alignment between treatment plans and the clinical evaluation cycle, the treatment duration was extended from 5 days to 7 days. Such flexibility has shown positive outcomes in clinical practice. Therefore, this adjustment has now been formalized to further strengthen continuity of care under OPAT.
Meanwhile, the ACAH Program aims to provide appropriate acute care services at home for patients as an alternative to hospitalization. From its trial run in July 2024 through the end of 2025, the program served 5,949 patients. For the rollout of the Early Discharge Model, the NHIA plans to allocate 59 million points, with an estimated 1,200 beneficiaries. The initiative is expected to ease inpatient capacity pressures and provide patients with treatment options.
The NHIA emphasized that appropriate use of antimicrobials is critical to patient safety. To prevent misuse, the NHIA continuously monitors all claims under the OPAT and the ACAH programs. Furthermore, joint reviews are conducted with the Infectious Diseases Society of Taiwan to ensure all treatments strictly adhere to clinical indications and prescribing guidelines. Moving forward, the NHIA will continue to review and refine reimbursement and management mechanisms on a rolling basis to support healthcare providers in delivering stable, continuous care.