A couple weeks ago for my Tuesday Taiwan-ism I posted about the crazy low cost of living here in Taiwan {yahoo for me!} but I forgot to mention yet ANOTHER piece of the "low cost of living" here in Taiwan...healthcare.
Taiwan has a national, and mandatory, healthcare plan in place for all of its residents (citizens and legal residents alike) in which an employer and the employee each pay an agreed upon percentage of the yearly costs and the resident then has access to low cost and affordable healthcare anywhere in the county {I know this sounds great...I promise I'll share both pros and cons of this!}
Medical Expenses
General Practitioner (with all tests included) -- $150 NT -- $4.60 USD
Specialist -- $200 NT -- $6.13 USD
Dentist -- $200 NT -- $6.13 USD
Eye Doctor -- $200 NT -- $6.13 USD
Dermatologist -- $200 NT -- $6.13 USD
Emergency Room Visit -- $700 NT -- $21.45 USD
Prescriptions -- "free" -- included with doctor's fees
PROS - Affordable · Easily Accessible · Most places are no appointments necessary · free necessary prescriptions · fast service · healthcare for all residents and workers in Taiwan
CONS - Rushing patients in and out quickly · many conditions not taken very seriously · far too many pills are prescribed · at times offices are quite crowded
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