In 1969, President Richard Nixon declared that the “spiraling costs” of medical care constituted a “crisis.” Medicare and Medicaid had been passed only four years previously, and had dramatically changed the way Americans accessed and paid for medical care. The ensuing three decades ushered in a renewed period of advocacy for health care reform with costs remaining a consistent focus. Proponents for national health insurance framed health as a human right emphasizing equitable access. Those advocating for private health insurance touted the power of the marketplace to contain costs through competition and freedom of choice. Throughout the debates, health reform advocates, insurance industry representatives, medical providers, and legislators repeatedly referred to the “health consumer” as the potential benefactor of such reforms. But this ubiquitous term remained ambiguous. Who exactly was the “health consumer”? The contests over the rhetoric of the health consumer as an identity, its uses and political alignments, were engaged through print, in research, in organized campaigns, and in discrete individual interactions with health insurance and the health care system. These interconnected systems of power informed and were informed by the language used to describe them, in the sense of “structuring structures,” extending to economics and the consumer movement, social movements and civil rights. Thus the ideological orientations of the terms of the debate, focused on the “health consumer,” have shifted often and have continued to be contested in a dialectic relationship. This analysis therefore takes place at those intersections where health consumers as individuals have confronted the private, for-profit sphere by making claims for health consumer rights. The utility and ethical implications of commodification versus rights language have consistently been at the center of these opposing views. This dissertation examines the evolution of the dialectic dynamic of these two approaches to better understand how health consumer rights advocates have confronted challenges to include their voices in health care debates from the 1970s to the late 1980s at the local, state, and national levels. Specific sites include the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and the Center for Public Representation, both located in Wisconsin, as well as the national grassroots organization Citizen Action and the local chapter Massachusetts Fair Share. Moving beyond binary understandings such as "patients" and "non-patients," or even the "patient/consumer," the health consumer identity blurs distinctions of inclusion and exclusion and dramatically expands the framing of "who counts" in health social movements. The health consumer thereby has remained a locus of contestation and potential rhetorical power that can inform the more political use of the term for making rights claims, as well as the more economic approach that advocates for free market principles. As such, it is readily co-opted in movement/counter-movement shifts in language and political alignment. Such contests and co-optation frame each chapter in this dissertation. Ultimately, health social movements and the dynamic, even equivocal orientation of the “health consumer” identity may play a determinative role in how to move forward with health care policy reform that seeks to provide all Americans with equitable access to wellness, rather than vying to purchase health.

This study collects the views of 38 health policy leaders, answering one open-ended question in a 1-hour interview: What state-level reforms do you believe are necessary to implement a feasible model of universal health insurance in Oregon? Interviewees represented seven groups: state officials, insurers, purchasers, hospitals, physicians, public interest, and experts. About 370 coded arguments in the interview transcripts were condensed into 95 categorical topics. A code outline was constructed to present a dialogue among stakeholders in one comprehensive narrative. Topical sections include the cost imperative, politics, model systems, insurance, purchasing, delivery system, practice management, and finance. Summary results show the prevalence of group attention to each topic, group affinities, and proximity correlations of different arguments mentioned by individuals. The most common arguments related to problems of low-value care and delivery system reform. There was a generally felt imperative to control costs. Regarding universal health insurance, stakeholders were split between two main alternatives. One model, favored mostly by insurer and purchaser groups, supported the state-sponsored individual mandate. This plan, embodied in the current Oregon Action Plan to implement universal health insurance, involved managed competition for insurers and clinical governance over professional practice. A separate set of arguments, favored mostly by expert and physician groups, emphasized the need for a unified public system, or utility model, possibly with centralized funds and regional global budgets. The ability of the individual mandate plan to control costs or manage quality appears doubtful, which strengthens opposition. The utility model is more likely to work at cost control and governance, but it disrupts the status quo and its details are vague, which strengthens opposition. Neither model is endorsed by a majority of the stakeholders, and political success for either one alone is not promising. Possibly, a close analysis of the two models could find a way to combine them and generate unified support.

With the advent of the new National Health Act, health care in South Africa is at a critical point as this will be the first time in history that a National Health Insurance is being implemented in this country. Globally National Health Insurance has been around for more than a hundred years, however some countries with long established national health schemes are currently grappling with funding issues surrounding their health systems. South Africa should take note of these issues as it embarks on this journey. The objective of this study was to perform a literature review on how South Africa’s National Health Insurance can be funded taking cognisance of the history of the country and experiences of other countries. It is imperative for each country to achieve optimal health care funding to ensure the success and long-term sustainability of National Health Insurance. The analysis of the problems experienced by other countries revealed that balancing the three main funding options namely, allocated from the national revenue fund, user charges and or donations or grants from international organisations, is critical as the funds needed in a system to achieve coverage at an affordable cost is dependent on the current state of health care in a country. Considering South Africa’s history and current inequality in society and health care it is clear that the majority of funding for the National Health Insurance should be supplied by the national revenue fund. The required funds can either be raised by increasing existing taxes or introducing a new tax specifically aimed at financing the National Health Insurance. The use of user charges is important however, although not purely for a revenue collection point, but from a cost control point of view as well. Some studies have revealed that the lack of user charges results in a misuse of the system. / Financial Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Science)

全民健康保險自1995年在台灣實施以來，從設立之初面臨整合困境，到近年來因應健保財務的收支平衡及社會保險財政收入公平性規劃，而於2013年通過了改良版二代健保規劃(補充保費)，此意謂著台灣健保也面臨了一般社會保險財務沉重負擔的必然困境，同時也讓主管的衛生機關對於醫療給付的支出更限縮、管制更加嚴格。 注重醫療服務品質、衡平健保財務規劃及醫事服務機構的合理費用支付等三者平衡皆是健康保險制度能夠長久維持的重大元素。然而在總額支付制度之嚴格管制財務規劃下，雖然在名義上，健保局將醫療費用審查委託總額受託團體辦理，但受託單位角色上仍扮演行政協助角色，但健保局仍負責所有審查人員聘任、解僱、及最後審查裁量決定權，最後由健保局執行之行政程序將醫療費用支付給予醫事服務機構。 在當前醫療服務費用審查制度下，招致眾多醫療機構及醫事人員批評審查不公、惡意核刪(viciousness payment subtraction)、欠缺公民參與之黑箱審查等聲浪。細究此指摘聲浪並非空穴來風，實務上仍不免有許多謬誤醫療費用核刪、不確定法律概念(indefinite law concept)及侵犯醫事服務機構及相關醫事人員之財產權、工作權及醫療專業自主權之疑慮。 本文嘗試探討醫療費用審查之法律關係及支付制度角色，並解析目前眾多謬誤醫療費用核刪的法律明確性(principle of clarity and definiteness of law)違反、欠缺法源依據及判斷餘地瑕疵(discretion flaws)。並提出審查機制調整建議，建議將醫療費用審查制度交由公正第三人團體獨立化、專業化、減少爭議審議案件發生及爭審會行政負擔、促進公正審查(impartial review)、公開透明及避免醫療品質快速崩壞。

The aim of this study was to capture nurses’ experiences and reality of practice in order to understand their views on National Health Insurance (NHI) policy. A hermeneutic phenomenological research design was used to collect data from professional nurses working at Embuleni Hospital in the Gert Sibande District of Mpumalanga province. A sample of 10 professional nurses was included in the study and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data which was analysed following van Manen’s (1990) approach. The results revealed that professional nurses are of the view that the policy on management of hospitals is the source of health system problems which have caused inequalities and insufficient management of rural hospitals, thus affecting their efficiency in service delivery. However, the study revealed that professional nurses viewed the same policy in the light of national core-standards which they use as an objective tool for the purpose of monitoring their practice. The findings present an opportunity for policy makers to use evidence-based knowledge in realigning policy for relevance, bringing nurses on board in the policy process and understanding the key constituents of policy content. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

行政部門委員會為政府內具有公共參與特質的合議制組織，來自社會層級的利害關係人被納入決策圈，並共同決定政策內容，作者稱之為委員會參與機制。此決策模式結合了社會與政府對公共參與的期待，並在世界各國廣泛使用。行政管理者宣稱可透過社會代表性的提升，提高政策的正當性與回應性；但實務上，委員會卻遭遇密室協商、激化對立、政治操弄等質疑。對此，本研究提出以下疑問：公共參與是否真能回應社會的政策需求？該如何具體評估參與績效？ 依據委員會的決策結構特質，作者由公共參與的理論視野探討代表性和回應性的因果機制，提供一套以委員會為主體的參與評估標準。代表性在理論上有形式與實質代表性兩個層次，共包含參與制度、議事行為與會議影響力三個面向；回應性則強調利害關係人對委員會回應需求的主觀評價，又分為民主程序與實質利益的需求回應能力兩類。參與概念落實在制度賦權和議事行為，應該會同時強化兩類回應性。在研究方法上，本文以全民健康保險委員會為分析案例：首先透過跨國比較，分析台灣、日本、韓國、加拿大以及德國在類似的審議機制中，如何建構委員會代表性的制度。依此基礎，再針對第一屆健保會的運作進行分析，透過利害關係人問卷、健保會會議記錄內容分析、深度訪談與焦點團體等方法，深入探討健保會之政策回應能力。 研究結果發現：一、委員會參與的制度賦權和正當性皆來自代議機關，尚無法取而代之。台灣健保會之形式代表性，在行政單位主導下仍偏好具有政治動員能力的團體，較忽略社會連帶或保障弱勢的價值。二、健保會在民主功能和實質結果兩個回應性面向的評價皆為正面，而民主程序的評價又優於後者。然而，相互理解的功能評價再高，卻未對實質回應性產生顯著影響。三、是否具有健保會席次並不影響回應性評估；但直接與會者以及實際參與愈積極者，卻反而對委員會回應利害關係人需求的能力抱持較悲觀的看法。最後，在程序面和實質面評價上最為顯著的因素為會議影響力，會議影響力愈大的團體，其回應性也就愈高。 總結上述來回答核心問題：參與是否會提高利害關係人的回應性？在極大化個體利益的動機下，參與制度和行為都只提供爭取權益的機會，不必然導致實質利益。再加上負擔參與成本以及競爭資源的政治現實，參與者進入體制後，反而對委員會的政策回應能力持質疑的態度。是故，會議影響力為關鍵因素，只有在參與過程中獲利愈多者，其回應性才有直接的正面作用；若忽略參與途徑和結果的連結以及權力互動，就過度簡化了參與的政治本質。基於此，行政管理者掌握了決策結構與行政資源，若想取得較佳的回應性評價，就必須在制度和過程面中平衡不同的社會力量，才能使委員會發揮多元參與的功能，而不只是優勢團體的工具。 / Governmental committees are a kind of public participatory mechanism, whereby policy stakeholders are incorporated in the decision making procedure and negotiate with each other to policy outcomes. This mechanism accords with the expectations of both society and government and is frequently used by executive branches all over the world. Ideally, social representativeness can strengthen legitimacy and thereby increase responsiveness. However, in practice, there have also been some criticisms of the committee mechanism, including black box decision making, conflict enlargement, and administrative manipulation. To response this debate, my study addresses whether this type of public participation is responsive to policy demands as well as how to substantially evaluate its effectiveness. Theoretically, participation has a positive impact on policy demands, I provide more precise analysis using the concepts of representativeness and responsiveness. The former refers to how interests are presented in the decision making process, including in both the formal and substantive dimension. The latter refers to the committee’s ability to respond to procedural and substantive demands from society. To illustrate the theoretical framework, the National Health Insurance Committee (NHIC) in Taiwan is taken as my case study. The empirical section is divided into two parts, Fist, I explore original guiding values and institutional design of five committees that emerged under different political-social contexts in Japan, South Korea, Canada, Germany and Taiwan. Based on the results of this comparison, the NHIC in Taiwan is my main topic in the second part. The participatory behavior of committee members and their evaluation of the NHIC system are discussed through the various research methods, such as interviews, focus groups, stakeholder surveys, and also context analysis of meeting minutes. Four results of the study are illustrated as follows: 1. Because the legitimacy of the committee mechanism is empowered by traditional representative authority (the elected legislative or executive branch), it serves a supplementary rather than substitutive function to the existing system. Especially in Taiwan, the administration prefers the advantaged groups more capable of mobilizing social supports over the vulnerable groups which may bring the values of social solidarity and justice into the decision-making of the committee. 2. Stakeholders positively appraised the NHIC’s responsive capacity, both in the procedural and substantive dimensions, with the former appraised more highly than the latter. However, a high level of communication functions had no impact on responsiveness. 3. The institutional variable has no impact on responsiveness. However, direct participation in meetings was associated with more pessimistic views of the NHIC when compared to the non-participators. In addition, the more actors were involved in the NHIC, the more negative their evaluations were. 4. The most significant variable for responsiveness is the decision influence of stakeholders. Does participation strengthen stakeholders’ responsiveness? Under the condition that individuals are motivated by interest maximization, while institutional design and participatory behavior seek to pursue individual interest, it may not always realize substantial benefits. Furthermore, after becoming institutional insiders, the costs of participation and the political reality of power competition will make stakeholders more skeptical about the responsiveness of committee mechanisms. In other words, whether participation can increase the stakeholders’ satisfaction mainly depends on the benefit they can obtain from it. Without taking into account the link between participatory approaches and results, as well as the interaction between various stakeholders, we cannot gain a full picture of the nature of policy participation. In terms of practical reforms, to increase performance responsiveness, administrators who control the structures and resources of the NHIC should incorporate different social forces and interests on the input and process dimensions. This will enable the committee mechanism to perform the function of pluralistic participation, rather than simply serving as a political tool for advantaged groups.

21世紀是經濟繁榮及醫療科技進步的時代，世界各國面對人口結構快速老化、生命延長、慢性疾病遽增，及流感與疾病的可快速傳播，使世界衛生組織的功能逐漸受到重視。台灣各級醫院的病床幾乎都是急性病床，植物人在健保醫療照護體系中，被歸屬於慢性病非重大傷病，並無特殊的減免醫療支出與補助，僅提供慢性病床及有限的居家護理給付。我國自實施全民健保以來，減輕了許多急重症病患家庭的醫療支出，但健保收入在政治因素的介入下，永遠跟不上醫療支出；且健保局預估今（2009）年收支短絀約320多億(健保局，2008)。不免讓我們憂心未來醫療資源的可能枯竭，加上植物人在病情穩定後即需出院，無法長期留在醫院受專業及妥適的照顧，使得植物人照顧家庭在精神及經濟層面更是雪上加霜陷入困頓。為此，內政、社福、衛生等行政部門，實需積極整合介力協助；如此或可與先進國家的長照體系接軌，使植物人照護得到兼具專業、人性與尊嚴的照應。 本研究採用質性研究中的深入訪談法，以台北縣市植物人照顧家庭的12位家屬為訪談對象，以深入探討都會地區照顧家屬難兼具照顧及就業。照顧者是無酬勞的工作，易在身心俱疲下陷於下一個被犧牲者的情境，植物人家庭對植物人照料與甦醒期待及照顧過程裡對自我生命成長價值觀。訪談所得資料，經歸納、分析所得研究結果: 都會地區家庭結構的轉變，使得家庭照護人力不足，何況目前尚無新醫療可預測植物人何時甦醒，況且頭部病變照顧已久植物人再甦醒的機會很渺茫。大台北地區雙薪家庭聘請外籍看護工的型態，確實讓蠟燭兩頭燒的雙薪家庭，減輕了部份照顧人力不足及精神壓力負擔，但此終究非長久之計。但是，如何讓受照顧的植物人，享有品質的醫療與照護，從而體現生命之尊嚴與國家、社會照護、互助的價值，這正是長照體系建立刻不容緩。或許在可預見的將來，因著教育及社會觀念的轉化，我們可以欣然接受安樂死或推行生前醫療契約，坦然接受自己或家人在面對需要長期療護，特別是可能造成植物人情況的事前自在選擇。所以，如何建構可長可久且結合醫療、勞工、社福用以嘉惠老人及植物人之機構，是政府在拼經濟、擴大內需建設及增加就業，不可不亟力擘劃貫徹的重大議題。但這需要政府與民間一起攜手打造，使台灣寶島實現老吾老以及人之老的平和尊嚴人生之樂土。 本研究依據研究結果，提一些建議：一、對家庭之建議：均衡飲食、養成運動習慣、強化家庭生命共同體。二、對醫療團隊：建立醫院網頁、建構植物人疾病成因及預防之道、社工諮商團隊協助家庭以落實社區長期照護系統。三、對學校建議：課程加入生死學課程、強化衛教觀念及基本照顧方式、培養怡情興趣、學習紓解壓力。四、對政府的建議：政府各部會平台資訊聯結化、行政作業單一窗口化、政策宣導口語化、政策推行離島實施而後推廣至全國，應快速實施長期照護系統。 關鍵字：全民健保、植物人、長期照護、安樂死、生前醫療契約 / The 21st century is a time of economic prosperity and technological advancement. However, the world is facing challenges from the problems of the rapidly aging population, increasing longevity, the surging of chronic disease, in addition to epidemics and flues spreading faster then before. Most hospital beds in Taiwan are considered to be “acute hospital beds”, where vegetative patients are considered by the National Health Insurance to be suffering from a chronic disease and not as major illness/injury. There is no extra medical subsidy for these vegetative patients, and only limited payments for home care. Unfortunately, due to the inefficient funding for health insurance, we are concerned that medical resources might become exhausted in the future. Also, a vegetated patient is required to leave the hospital whenever his or her condition becomes stable. They are unable to remain in the hospital for long-term and professional care, which causes the families with vegetated patients to suffer emotionally and economically. Thus, studying ways for vegetated patients to obtain more professional, human, and dignified care is an important issue worthy of research. This study uses an in-depth interview method from quantitative research. 12 families with vegetative patients in Taipei County are the subjects of the interview. In-depth discussions are conducted on the difficulties for families who take care of a vegetative patient, and who have employment in the urban area. The information obtained was categorized and analyzed. 1. Nursing manpower insufficiency Due to the shifting of family structure in the urban area, there are not enough people in the family to take care of the vegetated patient. It is not possible to predict when a medical breakthrough will enable the patient to regain consciousness. Moreover, there is only a slight chance a vegetated patient suffering from head trauma for a long period of time can be revived again. 2. Dependence on foreign nurse aides By hiring foreign nurse aids, the dual-earner families in the Taipei metro area are able to get relief from the burden of caring for a vegetative patient. However, it is not a long-term solution. 3. The need for long-term care. Therefore, it is very important to construct a long-term care system for the vegetated patient to be able to receive quality medical care. Furthermore, Taiwan will benefit from showing respect for life, the importance of social care, and the value of helping each other. 4. Trying new concepts. Perhaps in the foreseeable future, we will accept things such as euthanasia or pre-paid medical contracts due to the changes in education and social attitudes. We might accept that one of our family members might be facing long-term care in the future, so any one of us is able to make arrangements before an unforeseen accident or illness results in becoming a vegetated patient. 5. Co-operation between the government and the people. This is an important issue for the method of constructing a long-lasting system that can combine medicine, labor, social welfare, and benefits for senior citizens and vegetated patients. However, it will take the cooperation of both government and the people to make Taiwan into a peaceful land that will respect their elders and respect life. Some suggestions have been developed as a result of this study: 1. suggestions to families: a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and strengthen the unity between family members. 2. suggestions to the medical team: develop hospital websites, prevent diseases that can cause vegetation, and the social worker consulting team should help families to implement a long-term community care system. 3. Suggestions to schools: add life and death lessons into the school’s curriculum, reinforce the concept of health education and a basic caring method, as well as increase community service, and teach methods for relieving stress. 4. Suggestions to the government: linking information by using a single window to handle all processes, use colloquial language for promoting policies, the policies should first be implemented in off-shore islands before being used in the main island, implement a long-term care system, and provide subsidies to those who hire domestic nurse aids. Keyword： National Health Insurance, Vegetative, Long-Term care, Home care, Euthanasia, Pre-paid medical contract

全民健保醫療給付範圍的相關決策缺乏資訊公開性與參與性，引發許多醫療給付的糾紛案件，加上醫療資源有限，醫療需求隨國內人口平均餘命提升而增加，醫療資源優先配置的問題更顯其重要性。本研究建立一個合理的醫療資源優先配置決策程序評估架構，以改善目前國內資源優先配置決策程序，使用Daniels & Sabin(1997)所提出的「要求合理性的課則」（Accountability for Reasonableness）作為評估架構的主要構面，採用文獻分析法與層級分析法建構出一個完整的評估架構並且比較指標間的相互權重，接著使用深度訪談法試圖探索評估指標相對權重背後所代表的意涵。研究結果顯示醫事團體代表強調相關性與決策修正機會，政府代表則注重公開性與執行力，兩者對於醫療資源優先配置決策程序的期待有相當大的落差。基於研究發現，本研究主張應該增加協商機會以減少決策成員間的認知落差，帶動社會大眾對於資源優先配置的認識與參與，並針對目前決策程序的公開性、相關性、決策修正機會與執行力進行改善。 / The lack of information publicity and participation in the payment system of National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan has been a critical issue. Besides numerous insurance payment disputations, the limited health resources and increasing health demand all call for an immediate solution to the problem of health resource priority setting in NHI.. This study aims to establish a systemic evaluative framework to improve on the health resources priority settings. In answer to the need, analytical hierarchy process and in-depth interviews have been conducted to develop a framework based on Accountability for Reasonableness. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the surveys indicate some criteria and the meaning of the relative weight of each criterion. The results show a discrepancy between the governmental representatives and the healthcare organization ones on the expectation of health resources priority settings. The former focus on relevance, revision and appeals while the latter emphasize publicity and enforcement. According to the findings, this study suggests that an increase of negotiation is necessary to eliminate the discrepancy between the two groups. The government also need to introduce the public the idea of health resources priority settings and to modify the current procedure based on the four factors in Accountability for Reasonableness.

重大傷病是我國全民健保的主要特色之一，民國105年重大傷病領證人數為95萬6626人（約4%人口），但其醫療費用超過全國四分之一，且盛行率有逐年上升的趨勢（資料來源：衛生福利部中央健康保險署）。其中，癌症又為重大傷病的首位，佔了重大傷病發證數的49%，雖然癌症發生率每年僅些微上升，但因罹癌後死亡率也逐年下降，而且癌症發生率隨年齡而增加，預期癌症盛行率將隨人口老化而快速上升，醫療利用與支出亦會愈趨上升，加重健保財務的負擔。有鑑於癌症盛行率的增加，健保署於兩年前提高癌症病患換新卡的資格，於103年停發約1萬7000張癌症領證數，但追根究底的解決之道仍在於及早發現與治療，不僅可提昇國民健康，更可有效率使用醫療資源。 本文使用全民健康保險資料庫，以探討國人罹癌前後的健康狀況為目標。透過資料庫的就醫資料，包括重大傷病證明明細檔（HV）、重大傷病門診處方及治療明細檔（HV_CD）、承保資料檔（ID）、2005年百萬人抽樣檔之門診處方及治療明細檔（CD），套用大數據的資料分析方法，探討國人罹患癌症的相關特性。首先對癌症病患進行基本資料之分析，接著探討不同準則下在判定癌症發生與罹癌死亡人數之間的估算差異，整合HV與HV_CD兩個資料庫，選擇可信度較高的方式作為估算癌症發生率與罹癌死亡率的基礎。研究發現，以退保資訊判斷癌症患者是否死亡，錯誤率優於先前根據就醫記錄。本文研究希冀可供政府擬定癌症相關的醫療策略，提高癌症病患的就醫意願及治癒率，增進國人健康，並且有效控制健保支出。

The aim of this study was to capture nurses’ experiences and reality of practice in order to understand their views on National Health Insurance (NHI) policy. A hermeneutic phenomenological research design was used to collect data from professional nurses working at Embuleni Hospital in the Gert Sibande District of Mpumalanga province. A sample of 10 professional nurses was included in the study and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data which was analysed following van Manen’s (1990) approach. The results revealed that professional nurses are of the view that the policy on management of hospitals is the source of health system problems which have caused inequalities and insufficient management of rural hospitals, thus affecting their efficiency in service delivery. However, the study revealed that professional nurses viewed the same policy in the light of national core-standards which they use as an objective tool for the purpose of monitoring their practice. The findings present an opportunity for policy makers to use evidence-based knowledge in realigning policy for relevance, bringing nurses on board in the policy process and understanding the key constituents of policy content. / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)