Yaung, who announced Monday his surprise resignation over the health insurance premium rate dispute, called a news conference at noon after President Ma met with him in the morning in an effort to convince him to stay in his post.

He said that President Ma has maintained close contact with him, giving instructions that reflect his caring for people's health. The Presidential Office also gave him several calls since Monday, he said.

Yaung said that he had agreed much earlier to attend a scheduled meeting at the Presidential Office on Wednesday, March 17 to present the DOH's proposals concerning the NHI premium adjustment to the president as well as other senior government officials and members of the legislative caucus of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT).

He told the reporters that he felt bad over leaving his post before completing the scheduled briefing.

“It is inappropriate for me to offer to resign before fulfilling a promise and finishing my work. It shows a lack of respect for the country,” Yaung said.

Three Draft Versions

Yaung said three drafted reform packages will be discussed at next Wednesday's meeting, including the one initiated by the DOH, a version proposed by the Executive Yuan (Cabinet), which is backed by KMT lawmakers, and a proposal that segregate premium rates based on different income levels

Stressing that the health insurance premium adjustment plan is by no means aimed at enhancing wage earners' financial burden, Yaung said Taiwan's widely acclaimed health insurance system may collapse if the premium rates are not raised soon.

Asked whether he will stay on his post, Yaung did not answer directly, saying instead that it was a personal matter unworthy of public discussion.

Yaung stressed that he was more concerned about keeping the NHI program afloat not only because it was related to public health but also because it is critical to protecting people from becoming financially destitute due to illness.

Yaung said some of his foreign friends have offered views on how to overhaul Taiwan's health insurance system. “I will convey the advice to President Ma at the upcoming meeting,” Yaung added.

Premier Wu Den-yih has turned down Yaung's request for resignation, but Yaung said earlier that he will continue his ongoing leave of absence until March 17.

In his March 8 resignation statement, Yaung cited as a major factor in his decision his disagreement with Premier Wu on how the national health insurance premium rates should be adjusted to bolster the cash-strapped program.

According to Yaung, the DOH could not go along with Wu's insistence that 75 percent of the people should be unaffected by the planned increases and that only the wealthiest 25 percent should be made to pay more.

Yaung said Monday he could only assure Wu that 59 percent of the insured would remain unaffected by the premium hikes.

As of the end of last year, the national health insurance program had accumulated a debt of NT$58.8 billion and the amount may zoom to an estimated NT$101.5 billion by the end of 2010 if no adjustment is made.

Ma's Views

Su Jun-pin, spokesman of the KMT, said President Ma with Minister Yaung at KMT headquarters before a weekly KMT Central Standing Committee meeting in the morning.

It marked the first time the president, who concurrently serves as KMT chairman, had met with Yaung since the latter announced his surprise resignation.

During their brief meeting, the president convinced him to stay in his post while Yaung presented Ma with a DOH-drafted insurance premium reform report, said Su.

The president expressed his views that there are not many differences among the various versions of premium rate adjustments and that they can be ironed out because they were only technical details, according to Su.

While attending a gathering of business and industry leaders, Premier Wu said he will continue the efforts to retain Yaung on the position.

Wu emphasized that he and Yaung hold similar views with only slight differences concerning technical details.

But the final decision will not be made after Minister Yaung present the DOH's views and proposal at the meeting set for next Wednesday at the Presidential Office.

Wu said he himself will also give briefings to both President Ma and Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng next week to select the best option among three sets of proposals and solve all technical issues.

He clarified that the controversy concerning the premium rate adjustments is not a case “professionalism versus populism” as alleged by some critics.

Wu said his stand is to include the financial burden to be faced by the people into overall consideration.