Traditional Medicines List Reimbursed by Health Insurance Authorities with Case Studies of China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

Abstract

Many Asian countries (China, Vietnam, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, etc.) have well-developed traditional medicine backgrounds due to their rich historical traditions and favorable natural conditions. In the development process of these nations, folk medicine has played an important role in people’s healthcare, especially in the primary healthcare system, due to their availability and suitability for the people’s demands with rational expense. WHO recognizes the role of traditional medicine in people’s healthcare and encourages its member nations to enhance the role of traditional medicine in their healthcare systems. On that basis, many countries have developed policies to heritage, enhance, and strengthen the use of traditional medicine in medical practice. Among these policies, contents related to inaugurating a list of traditional medicines reimbursed by the Health Insurance Authority play a very important role. This study gives an overview of the experiences and processes in establishing the List of traditional medicines reimbursed by Health Insurance Authorities from China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.