Abstract
The medical subsidy plan for children under 3 years, provide free cost-sharing fee under National Health Insurance, has launched in March 2002 by Child Welfare Bureau, Ministry of the Interior. The purpose of the medical subsidy plan was to ensure young children can obtain better health care. The aim of this study was to examine the health impact, measured by preventable death and hospitalization, of the medical subsidy plan. Our results show that after the implementation of the medical subsidy plan, the preventable mortality rate of children under 3 significant decreased 2.41 (per 100,000) and the rate of preventable hospitalization descreased 22.52 (per 100,000) without statistically significant. Moreover, the access for outpatient and emergency visit were increased after introduction of the medical subsidy plan. Basied on the research finding, we suggested that the policy makers might consider extending the coverage of medical subsidy plan to all children under 6.
| Translated title of the contribution | Health Impact of the Medical Subsidy Plan for Children under 3 Years |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
| Pages (from-to) | 101-124 |
| Journal | 兒童及少年福利期刊 |
| Issue number | 15 |
| State | Published - Jun 2009 |