Received, understanding and satisfaction of National Health Insurance premium subsidy scheme by families of children with disabilities: a census study in Taipei City.
One-third of Taipei families miss free health-premium cash—check eligibility at intake and teach the rules in plain words.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lin et al. (2009) asked every family of preschoolers with disabilities in Taipei City about a money-saving program. The National Health Insurance gives these families a break on monthly premiums.
Workers visited 3,060 homes. They used a short form with pictures to check who got the subsidy, who knew the rules, and who felt happy with the help.
What they found
One in three eligible families never got the money. Only a large share could explain the rules in their own words. Just a large share said they were satisfied.
Families with younger moms, lower income, or kids with mild problems were the most likely to miss out.
How this fits with other research
Tsai et al. (2012) later showed the same city’s kids with disabilities use preventive care only a large share of the time. Both papers point to the same risk group: low-income, urban families.
Chiang et al. (2013) found that once kids hit school age, they average 20 doctor visits a year and triple the medical cost of peers. Low subsidy uptake in preschool may feed that later high use.
Hsu et al. (2009) ran a parallel 2009 census and saw a large share of these preschoolers land in the ER every four months. Together, the three studies paint one picture: families lack money knowledge and quick care options.
Why it matters
If families do not know about the subsidy, they skip care or pay out of pocket. You can fix this at intake. Add one page to your parent packet: a simple checklist of subsidy rules, a phone number, and a QR code to apply. Review it together and circle the items that fit the family. This five-minute step can save them hundreds of dollars a year and keep therapy on track.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purposes of the present study are to provide the first data on utilization, understanding and satisfaction of the National Health Insurance (NHI) premium subsidy for families of children with disabilities in Taipei. Data from the 2001 Taipei Early Intervention Utilization and Evaluation Survey for Aged 0-6 Children with Disabilities were analyzed. In the study, a total of 1006 questionnaires were mailed, of which 340 valid questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 33.8%. More than one-third of families of children with disabilities did not receive any financial subsidy of National Health Insurance (NHI). Less than half of the respondents (43.8%) understood the NHI premium subsidy policy completely, while 28.7% partial understood and 27.5% still did not know this auxiliary policy. Approximately 38.5% of the respondents were specifically very satisfied or satisfied, with the NHI subsidy program. There were 18.9% respondents who felt dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the NHI scheme for children with disabilities in Taiwan. Chi-square or t-test analyses were significant for the caregiver's age (p<0.05), children's disability onset and disability diagnosed age and disability level (p<0.01) on receiving the subsidy assistance. A multiple stepwise logistic regression revealed that the factor of 'onset age of disability' was slightly significant associated with the use of NHI premium subsidy (OR=0.966; 95% CI=0.947-0.986). Health policies should aim to reduce the inequity in NHI premium subsidy utilization and improve their understanding and satisfaction toward this subsidy scheme.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2009 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2008.04.004