Infectious Disease Patients Can Be Discharged Earlier; Outpatient Antibiotic Administration to Begin in May

For patients hospitalized with infectious diseases who have disabilities or difficulty accessing medical care, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) recently announced the "Early Discharge Model," which will be implemented retroactively from May 1st. Patients deemed suitable by their physician for early discharge can switch to outpatient antibiotic administration. It is estimated that approximately 1,200 patient visits will benefit annually.

The NHIA officially amended the "Pilot Program for Emergency Home Care under National Health Insurance" on May 12th. The key points include relaxing the conditions for early patient discharge and increasing the remuneration for frontline medical personnel. These measures are effective from May 1st.

Huang Peishan, Director of the NHIA's Medical Affairs Management Division, stated in a phone interview today that in the past, infectious disease patients requiring long-term antibiotic infusions often had to stay in the hospital for several weeks. This not only occupied bed capacity but also increased the burden on families.

The newly introduced "Early Discharge Model" applies to all hospitalized infectious disease patients with disabilities (defined as a Barthel Index score below 60) or characteristics making medical access difficult. After a physician assesses that their condition is stable and the bacterial strain is suitable, they can be discharged early and receive intravenous antibiotic treatment on an outpatient basis.

Huang Peishan pointed out that while previous related programs primarily targeted pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and soft tissue infections, this new policy "comprehensively expands" coverage, no longer limiting the types of infectious diseases. For example, conditions like osteomyelitis that require long-term antibiotic infusions can now be included. This adjustment is estimated to benefit about 1,200 patient visits per year, not only preserving acute ward capacity but also enabling seamless transition of medical services to home care.

Regarding incentives and payment adjustments, the new policy introduces a quality incentive bonus. If a patient is not readmitted unexpectedly within 14 days of discharge, a bonus of 3,000 points will be awarded per case.

To encourage medical personnel to engage in home care services, the NHIA has also comprehensively increased labor remuneration. Huang Peishan explained that the visiting fees for nurses, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists have been increased by 5%, and the consultation fee within the daily medical fee has also been raised.

Furthermore, to strengthen bedside testing capabilities in the home environment, Huang Peishan stated that the payment point multiplier for laboratory technicians or radiographers performing relevant tests has been increased from the original 20% to 40%, reflecting the efforts of medical personnel in home care services through actual points.

Although the new policy was announced on May 12th, Huang Peishan said that the payment and implementation details are retroactive to May 1st. For hospitalized patients currently receiving antibiotic infusions and meeting the criteria, they can be transferred to the early discharge model after physician assessment, allowing patients and their families to maintain treatment quality while reducing the physical and mental fatigue of long-term hospitalization.