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The Right to Health in Taiwan: Implications and Challenges

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Taiwan and International Human Rights

Part of the book series: Economics, Law, and Institutions in Asia Pacific ((ELIAP))

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Abstract

Even though the right to health has been recognized as a fundamental right of everyone in Taiwan and universal National Health Insurance has been established to protect the accessibility of healthcare, the right to health is still not comprehensively guaranteed because the right is not explicitly stipulated in either the judicial or policy-making process. The ignorance then undermines the intrinsic values of the right to health and the importance of the individual’s legal entitlements to health necessities, and excuses the government’s non-compliance with human rights obligations. In order to explore the implications and challenges of the realization of the right to health in Taiwan, this chapter assesses Taiwan’s commitments to the right to health from legal and public health perspectives through an analysis of constitutional and domestic laws, health inequality status, and the distribution of underlying conditions of health. The notions of “accountability” and “participation” in regard to “social determinants of health” are also considered as important factors in the assessment.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Wu (2016), pp. 206–207.

  2. 2.

    Id., at p. 207.

  3. 3.

    Toebes (1999), p. 247.

  4. 4.

    Id., at pp. 247, 254–258.

  5. 5.

    In the framework of the Taiwanese Constitution, Articles 155 and 157 are listed under “Chapter XIII: Fundamental National Policies,” not “Chapter II: Rights and Duties of the People.”

  6. 6.

    Sun (2016), p. 1187.

  7. 7.

    Lin (2005), pp. 26–36.

  8. 8.

    Li (2005a), pp. 132–134.

  9. 9.

    For example, the Taiwan Constitution also does not contain the word “privacy,” but the right to privacy has been upheld on numerous occasions by the Constitutional Court and has been recognized as a constitutional right based on Article 22 of the Constitution. Recognition of the right then provided a solid foundation for developing a preferable strategy of judicial review involving privacy. Chen (2010), pp. 21, 44–45.

  10. 10.

    Wu, supra note 1, at p. 209.

  11. 11.

    See Chen Xin Min Da Fa Guan Shizi Di 701 Hao Jie Shi Xie Tong Yi Jian Shu [陳新民大法官釋字第701號解釋協同意見書] (Justice Chen Shin Min’s concurring opinions in J.Y. Interpretation No. 701) (6 July 2012) (R.O.C.).

  12. 12.

    See Lo Chang Fa’s Da Fa Guan Shizi Di 701 Hao Jie Shi Xie Tong Yi Jian Shu [羅昌發大法官釋字第701號解釋協同意見書] (Justice Lo Chang Fa’s concurring opinions in J.Y. Interpretation No. 701) (6 July 2012) (R.O.C.).

  13. 13.

    Si Fa Yuan Da Fa Guan Shizi Di 753 Hao Jie Shi [司法院大法官釋字第753號解釋] (J.Y. Interpretation No. 753) (6 Oct 2017) (R.O.C.).

  14. 14.

    Li (2005b), pp. 33–40.

  15. 15.

    Daniels et al. (1996), p. 20.

  16. 16.

    Gloppen and Roseman (2011), p. 1.

  17. 17.

    Covenants Watch (2012), p. 95.

  18. 18.

    Si Fa Yuan Da Fa Guan Shizi Di 472 Hao Jie Shi [司法院大法官釋字第472號解釋] (J.Y. Interpretation No. 472) (29 Jan 1999) (R.O.C.).

  19. 19.

    Central News Agency (2016).

  20. 20.

    See Comm Econ Soc Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 14, para. 8, 22nd Sec, 25 Apr–12 May 2000, UN Doc E/C.12/2000/4 (11 Aug 2000) [hereinafter General Comment No. 14].

  21. 21.

    Ma (2012), p. 62.

  22. 22.

    League for Persons with Disabilities (2017), pp. 7–8.

  23. 23.

    Covenants Watch (2012), supra note 17, at p. 102.

  24. 24.

    Covenants Watch (2016), pp. 109–110.

  25. 25.

    Sun (2016), supra note 6, at p. 1187.

  26. 26.

    ____ v. Kaohsiung County Stadium et al. 98 Su Di 186 Hao Panjue [98訴第186號判決] (Kaohsiung Admin. High Ct. [高雄高等行政法院] (17 Aug 2010) (Taiwan). See also Chen J-W & Chen M-S v. The Government of Kaohsiung City et al., 100 Pan Zi Di. 1454 Hao Panjue [100判字第1454號判決] (Supreme Admin. Ct. [最高行政法院] (18 Aug 2010) (Taiwan).

  27. 27.

    See e.g., General Comment No. 14, para 12(b) (“… accessibility includes the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas concerning health issues”).

  28. 28.

    Meier and Yamin (2011), p. 81.

  29. 29.

    Covenants Watch (2016), supra note 24, at p. 103.

  30. 30.

    Chapman (2010), p. 17; Alston (2005), p. 755.

  31. 31.

    Marmot (2006), p. 49.

  32. 32.

    Steiner and Alston (2000), p. 411.

  33. 33.

    Adler et al. (1993), pp. 3140–3145; Lynch et al. (1997), p. 809.

  34. 34.

    WHO (2008), p. 6.

  35. 35.

    Id., at p. 173.

  36. 36.

    Braveman and Egerter (2008), p. 53.

  37. 37.

    WHO (2008), p. 1.

  38. 38.

    Chapman (2010), supra note 30, at p. 19.

  39. 39.

    Schulz and Northridge (2004), p. 457.

  40. 40.

    Patrick and Erickson (1993), pp. 93–95; Broadhead et al. (1983), pp. 521–537; Thoits (1982), pp. 324–336.

  41. 41.

    Chen et al. (2012), p. 58.

  42. 42.

    Liu (2004), p. 9.

  43. 43.

    Lin et al. (1998), p. 6.

  44. 44.

    Article 51 of the National Health Insurance Act, “Expenses arising from the following service items are not covered in this Insurance: … 12. Other treatments and drugs as stipulated by the Insurer, reviewed by the Board, and promulgated by the Competent Authority.” Article 53, “No insurance benefits shall be paid by the Insurer for any one of the following events: … 3. Treatment and drugs which are not medically necessary according to the pre-examination …” In addition, Article 41.1 of the Act also argues that, “The Fee Schedule and Reference List for Medical Services shall be established jointly by the Insurer and the relevant agencies, experts, beneficiaries, employers, and contracted medical care institutions, and shall be reported to the Competent Authority for approval.” Article 41.2, “Drug dispensing and fee schedules should be established jointly by the Insurer and the relevant agencies, experts, beneficiaries, employers, and contracted medical care institutions; drug providers and relevant experts as well as patients should also be invited to voice their opinions and they shall be reported to the Competent Authority for approval.”

  45. 45.

    Toebes (1999), supra note 3, at p. 23.

  46. 46.

    Daniels (1995), pp. 26–27, 34.

  47. 47.

    WHO (2008), p. 18.

  48. 48.

    Nnamuchi (2014), p. 126.

  49. 49.

    Rei (2011), p. 132.

  50. 50.

    Taipei High Administrative Court 2009 Ruling No. 388 Precedent.

  51. 51.

    Otley, R v. Barking & Dagenham NHS Primary Care Trust, [2007] EWHC 1927 (Admin), para. 26 (Eng.).

  52. 52.

    Rei (2011), pp. 184–188.

  53. 53.

    Id., at p. 161.

  54. 54.

    Venkatapuram et al. (2010), p. 8.

  55. 55.

    Chapman (2010), supra note 30, at p. 17; Alston (2005), supra note 30, at p. 755.

  56. 56.

    Hunt (2009), pp. 1757–1759.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chuan-Feng Wu

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  1. Chuan-Feng Wu
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Correspondence to Chuan-Feng Wu .

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  1. U.S.-Asia Law Institute, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Jerome A. Cohen

  2. Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, USA

    William P. Alford

  3. Constitutional Court, Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan

    Chang-fa Lo

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Wu, CF. (2019). The Right to Health in Taiwan: Implications and Challenges. In: Cohen, J., Alford, W., Lo, Cf. (eds) Taiwan and International Human Rights. Economics, Law, and Institutions in Asia Pacific. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0350-0_26

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