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February 2005, Vol 95, No. 2 | American Journal of Public Health 305-311
© 2005 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2002.012567

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

The Taiwan National Health Insurance Program and Full Infant Immunization Coverage

Chin-Shyan Chen, PhD and Tsai-Ching Liu, PhD

Chin-Shyan Chen is with the Department of Economics, National Taipei University, and the Taipei Municipal Wan Fang Hospital. Tsai-Ching Liu is with the Department of Public Finance, National Taipei University, and the Taipei Municipal Wan Fang Hospital.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Tsai-Ching Liu, PhD, Department of Public Finance, National Taipei University, 67, Sec. 3, Ming-Shen E. Road, Taipei, 104, Tai-wan (e-mail: tching{at}mail.ntpu.edu.tw).

Objectives. We compared hospital-born infants and well-baby care use associated with complete immunizations in Taiwan before and after institution of National Health Insurance (NHI).

Methods. We used logistic regression to analyze data from 1989 and 1996 National Maternal and Infant Health Surveys of 1398 and 3185 1-year-old infants, respectively.

Results. Infants born in hospitals were found to receive fewer immunizations than those born elsewhere before NHI but significantly more after NHI. Use of well-baby care correlates strongly and positively with the probability that a child will receive a full course of immunization after NHI.

Conclusions. The NHI policy of including hospitals as immunization providers facilitates access to immunization services for children born in those facilities. Through NHI provision of free well-baby care, health planners have stimulated the demand for immunization.






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