| Patients with Catastrophic Illnesses |
| If you are diagnosed by a physician as having a condition classified as a catastrophic illness by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, you can submit relevant information and apply for a catastrophic illness certificate. The application will be formally reviewed, and if approved, the information is entered into your NHI Card. Patients with catastrophic illness certification who get care for the illness or related conditions within the certificate's validity period do not need to pay a co-payment for outpatient or inpatient care. Catastrophic illness patients must still follow normal treatment and payment procedures when seeking care for unrelated conditions. For more information on catastrophic illness and how to apply for the certificate, please consult a National Health Insurance Administration regional division near you. |
| Patients with Rare Diseases |
| Rare diseases are classified as catastrophic illnesses. After a physician confirms the diagnosis and informs the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration, the patient can apply for a catastrophic illness certificate for exemption from co-payments for treatments related to the disease. For medicines for rare diseases, the National Health Insurance Administration reimburses these through specially earmarked funds, enabling patients with rare diseases to receive appropriate treatment. Patients with rare diseases can seek care at NHI-contracted healthcare institutions, where the clinical physicians will provide treatment and issue a prescription based on the diagnosis and refer to the regulations covering the reimbursement of related medications. If a needed drug has not yet received formal regulatory approval but the Ministry of Health and Welfare agrees to the drug’s import (or manufacture) on a special-case basis and lists it under the “Rare Disease Control and Orphan Drug Act,” it must be reviewed on a special-case basis by the National Health Insurance Administration before it can be used. For related application procedures and protocol, please visit the NHI website for more information. |
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