title: An overview of the healthcare system in Taiwan.
abstract: Taiwan adopted a national health insurance system in 1995. It is a government administered insurance-based national healthcare system. Although, like the UK, Taiwan has a single payer system for healthcare, there are several differences between the two systems. The characteristics of the Taiwanese system include good accessibility, comprehensive population coverage, short waiting times, relatively low costs and a national health insurance databank for planning, monitoring and evaluating health services. The weaknesses include variable quality of care, a weak gatekeeper role and increasing financial pressures.
authors.affiliation: Visiting Research Fellow, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, UK; Family Doctor, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tai-Yin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Head of Department and Professor of Primary Care, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Azeem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majeed
authors.affiliation: Director, Division of Health Policy Research and Development, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ken N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kuo
keywords: health insurance; health services accessibility; national health programs; primary healthcare; to come