TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A renowned obstetrician and gynecologist from Taiwanese faced a substantial medical bill and received minimal compensation from Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) on Wednesday (Dec. 6) after suffering two broken ribs in a skiing accident in the U.S. in June.
Taipei Show Chwan Hospital Director Cheng Cheng-chieh sustained the injury several months ago and received treatment at Anchorage's largest emergency room. His hospital stay lasted over six hours, but he only had a brief six-minute consultation with doctors.
The largest portion of his medical bill, approximately NT＄500,000, was attributed to NTD＄280,000 for computed tomography (CT) scans.
Upon returning to Taiwan, Cheng applied for overseas medical coverage from the NHI, but was reimbursed a mere NT $3,704. This amount sharply contrasts with the estimated NT＄6,000 to NT＄7,000 cost of similar emergency care in Taiwan, underscoring the disparity in domestic and overseas medical expenses.