Many cancer patients endure prolonged waits for new drugs to be covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI), often without clear results. To address this issue, Legislator Chen Gau-Tzu of the Taiwan People's Party has urged the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) under the Ministry of Health and Welfare to disclose the progress of drug review cases. NHIA Director Chung-Liang Shih responded by stating that discussions with pharmaceutical trade associations will be held, and efforts will be made to implement transparency in reviewing and deliberating drug cases.
During a review of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's budget by the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee yesterday, Chen Gau-Tzu highlighted that many cancer patients wait anxiously for new drugs but remain unaware of the review progress. She called on the NHIA to make the "drug review process" publicly available so that patients and the public can understand the timeline for drug reviews and NHI coverage. However, she noted that the NHIA has only indicated plans to convene discussions with manufacturers and representatives, with no concrete progress yet.
Director Chung-Liang Shih explained that currently, only the applying pharmaceutical companies can access drug review progress. However, he agreed that patients and the public should also have access to this information and stated that the NHIA is actively working in this direction. A preliminary meeting has already been held, and if trade associations do not express significant opposition, the NHIA will move forward with disclosing the information. Last year, the NHIA added 63 cancer drugs and expanded coverage, marking a record high, with a budget allocation exceeding NT$10 billion.
Shih further noted that the NHIA plans to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies to understand review timelines. The proposed public disclosures will include key milestones such as the submission date by manufacturers, the NHIA’s acceptance date, the timing of expert meetings, price negotiations, joint discussions, and the announcement of results. This transparency will allow the public to track the drug review process comprehensively.
Resource: 健保署將公開新藥審查案件進度 署長石崇良：朝此方向執行
