Procedures to Follow for Hospitalization

Be Informed of the hospitalization After hospitalization is scheduled, a staff will call the patient to inform the date to be hospitalized. On the day of the scheduled date of hospitalization, when a bed is available the hospital staff will call to ask the patient to report to the Customer Service Center at the hospital within 2 hours. ⇒ Go to the Customer Service Center (2nd Floor, the Rear Outpatient Building)  ⇒ Follow the directions of the staff there  ⇒ Go to the Pre-anesthesia Evaluation Center   if surgery is scheduled ⇒ Go to the Medical Advisory Service Center if tests are required before hospitalization ⇒ Be hospitalized ⇒ Pay the bill on discharge ⇒ Pick up prescribed medicines

Procedure

1. Hospital staff will call in advance to inform you of the date of admission. If the scheduled date is not appropriate, please notify the hospital immediately.
2. Please bring your ID Card (Veteran’s ID Card / Veteran’s Widow’s ID Card /Alien Residence Certificate) and your National Health Insurance Card to the hospital to make arrangement for your hospital stay. You may bring the passport if you do not have a National Health Insurance Card or Alien Residence Certificate.
3. Office Hours and Locations for Arranging Admission :
   • (1) Outpatients :
     • a. Monday through Friday (08:00-17:30) : Customer Service Center on 2F, the Rear Outpatient Building
     • b. Monday through Friday (17:30-20:00) : registration counters on 2F, the Rear Outpatient Building
     • c. Monday through Friday (08:00-20:00) : registration counters on 1F, 2nd Medical Building
     • d. Saturday, Sunday & Holiday (08:00-20:00) : registration counters on 2F, the Rear Outpatient Building
     • e. If you do not check-in by the designated time (before 20:00), the system will automatically cancel your reserved bed, which will be made available for emergency patients.
     • f. Out-of-office hours: Registration counters in the Department of Emergency Medicine.(Not available during the infection control period.)
   • (2) Patients in the Department of Emergency Services : The registration counter in the Emergency Room.
   • (3) All patients are required to sign an “Admission Agreement” when being admitted at the counter.
   • (4) A nurse at the ward will provide assistance for all new admissions.
   • (5) Blankets will be provided by the ward. Patients need to bring loose clothes,underwear and daily necessities such as towels, which can be purchased at a 24-hour convenience store in the hospital.Patients are advised not to bring valuable items to the hospital.

Fee Assessment Rules  ( International Medical Service Center-Service Information )

1. Basic Fees for Hospitalization :
   • (1) Diagnosis : fee is calculated from the day the patient is admitted to the day he/she is discharged.
   • (2) Ward fee : fee is calculated from the day the patient is admitted to the day before he/she is discharged.
2. Items not covered by National Health Insurance should be paid for in cash.
3. Copayment should be paid for a single room depending on the size of the room. Fees range from NT$ 5,000 to NT$ 12,000 per day.
   • (1) For patients with no NHI, fees range may be vary from NT$ 5,598 to NT$12,598 per day.
4. Copayment should be paid for a double room (shared) depending on the size of the room. Fees range from NT$ 2,000 to NT$ 2,500 per day.
   • (1) For patients with no NHI, fees range may be vary from NT$ 2,598 to NT$3,098 per day.
5. Selection of Ward and Changing Wards:
   • (1) Patients with National Health Insurance will be admitted to a 4-bed ward, which is fully covered by National Health Insurance, or patients can choose to pay an additional partial fee for a 2-bed/single bed  ward.
   • (2) There is no charge for veterans, widows of veterans or male patients receiving a Re-examination for military service.
   • (3) If you wish to move to a different ward, you may ask the nursing station if it is possible to transfer.
   • (4) If you do not wish to stay in a ward with patients of the opposite sex, please notify staff on admission.
   • (5) For emergency cases, a special ward may be used for other purposes without first seeking permission from the patient or his/her family. The patient will be admitted to a single-bed ward if one is available. When the emergency is over, priority will be given to the patient for the right to use the special ward.

Hospitalization Fee

• 1. The following items are not covered by National Health Insurance :
  • (1) Treatment for drug addiction (including alcohol and cigarettes), cosmetic surgery, non-post-traumatic orthodontic treatment, prophylactic surgery, artificial reproduction and gender reassignment surgery.
  • (2) Over-the-counter drugs and drugs suggested by a physician but not covered by National Health Insurance.
  • (3) Services provided by specially appointed doctors or nurses and nurse practitioners.
  • (4) Blood, except for blood transfusions deemed necessary by a doctor providing emergency care.
  • (5) Human-subject clinical trials.
  • (6) Hospital day care, except for psychiatric care.
  • (7) Food, except for nutrition provided through tube feeding, and balance billing (the difference between the actual amount charged and amount covered by National Health Insurance) for hospital rooms.
  • (8) The patient's transportation costs, registration fee, and cost of obtaining related certificates or medical records
  • (9) Dentures, artificial eyes, glasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs, crutches, and other equipment that is not used to actively treat the patient.
  • (10) Other treatments, services and medications that relevant authorities have officially announced as not being covered under the National Health Insurance system.
• 2. You will be informed in advance if the services are not covered by National Health Insurance.
• 3. Food is not covered by National Health Insurance, and is charged as follows :

Ward	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Regular Ward	NT$ 60	NT$ 100	NT$ 100
Single-bed Ward	NT$ 90 to NT$ 115	NT$ 165to NT$ 205	NT$ 160 to NT$ 205

 

• 4. Copayment for Hospitalization

Days Hospitalized	1-30 days	31-60 days	Over 60 days
Copayment	10%	20%	30%

 

• 5. All fees must be paid by cash or credit card at the counter or nursing station.
• 6. Patients with financial difficulties can ask to be evaluated for social aid. Please call 04-23592525 ext 2901.
• 7. If a patient has been recommended for discharge by the treating physician but wishes to extend his/her hospital stay, national insurance coverage will no longer be provided for the additional costs incurred. The patient is therefore required to pay all subsequent fees for the duration of the hospital stay.

Application for Various Certificates

Category	Documents required	Location for application	Charge
Birth Certificate (See Note 1)	Please obtain a “Certificate Replacement Slip” from the nursing station, and present the original ID cards of both parents or a household registration book.	(1) Monday to Friday • 08:00–20:30 — Please proceed to the registration counter on 1F, Second Medical Building. • 20:30–22:30 — Please proceed to Counter 2, 2F, Rear Outpatient Building. (2) Weekends & National Holidays • 08:00–22:00 — Please proceed to Counter 2, 2F, Rear Outpatient Building . (3) Other Hours • Please visit the Emergency Department registration counter.	The first two copies are free of charge starting from the initial application. Starting from the third copy, a fee of NT$100 per copy will apply. For English versions, the fee is NT$300 per copy. (See Note 2)
Diagnosis Certificate (See Note 3)	1.Application by the patient: Please provide the original National Health Insurance (NHI) card or a valid personal ID. 2.Application for a minor: Must be submitted by the legal guardian. The guardian must present their original ID and the minor’s original ID or Household Registration Certificate. 3.If the document is to be collected by a representative: The　representative must present the original ID cards of both parties and a letter of authorization signed by the patient.	Any registration counter	NT$ 120 (Chinese) NT$ 300 (English)
Death Certificate、Stillbirth Certificate	General Public: The original National ID card of the deceased patient (or Household Deregistration Certificate), and the original ID card of the heir (spouse or direct lineal relative). Unmarried Veterans: Please refer to Note 4 for specific document requirements.	Please first obtain a Certificate Replacement Slip Form from the nursing station. Then proceed to the appropriate registration counter according to the schedule below: 1. Monday to Friday •08:00–17:30: Proceed to the Special Diagnosis Certificate Registration Counter (Registration Counter 12), 2F, Rear Outpatient Building. •17:30–22:30: Proceed to Registration Counter 2, 2F, Rear Outpatient Building. 2. Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays •08:00–22:00: Proceed to Registration Counter 2, 2F, Rear Outpatient Building. 3. Outside of the above hours Please go to the Emergency Department Registration Counter.	The first three copies are free of charge from the initial application. Starting from the fourth copy onward, a fee of NT$100 per copy will be apply. Death Certificate for Unemployed Veterans: The first three copies are free of charge. Starting from the fourth copy, a fee of NT$50 per copy will apply.
For the above items, foreign nationals without a National Health Insurance (NHI) card will be charged 1.7 times the standard self-pay rates, in accordance with the hospital’s international medical fee policy.
Medical History	ID or a signed authorization form with the agent’s ID.	Section of Medical Records Management, 1st Floor, Outpatient Building.	NT$ 20 per page for the first 10 pages, and NT$ 5 for each additional page.
Copies of X-rays, CT and MRI scans performed by the Dept. of Radiology	Patient’s ID card or an authorization form with the agent’s ID.	No. 1 counter on 1F in the 1st Medical Building (behind the bank) Call: 23592525 Ext 3777	NT$ 200 for the first scan, and NT$ 100 per scan up to NT$500. NT$200 for an additional disk if one is not enough.

Note 1：Expectant mothers planning to give birth at this hospital are kindly requested to bring the original ID cards or the Household Registration Certificate of both themselves and their spouses to facilitate the processing of the newborn’s birth certificate.

Note 2：Issuance of English Birth Certificate:
The English names of the newborn and both parents (as shown on their passports) must be clearly provided. Photocopies of the passports of the newborn and both parents are also required. Please submit the documents in person at the Delivery Room, 3rd Floor, Second Medical Building, Monday to Friday, 08:00–12:00 and 13:30–17:30.

Note 3：Application for a Diagnosis Certificate
•Before discharge:
Please apply for the certificate at the nursing station, and proceed to the billing counter for payment and collection.
•After discharge:
Please follow the procedures below:
1. If a certificate was issued prior to discharge and no changes are required, but additional copies are needed, please go directly to the billing counter for application, payment, and collection.
2. If no certificate was issued during hospitalization, or if the content of the original certificate needs to be amended, please make an outpatient appointment with the original attending physician. After obtaining a Replacement Slip, proceed to the billing counter for payment and collection of the updated Diagnosis Certificate.
3. For patients discharged from the Emergency Department, it is recommended to apply for a supplementary Diagnosis Certificate at the Emergency Department counter between 14:00 and 17:00 on regular working days, to avoid prolonged waiting times due to medical team ward rounds.

Note 4：Unmarried Veterans   (Services available during office hours only)
1. If the application is submitted by a Veterans Home, Veterans Service Office, or a licensed funeral service provider, an official letter and the original ID of the authorized representative must be presented.
2. If the applicant is a Mainland Chinese spouse or immediate family member, or if a representative is authorized to apply, the following documents are required:
 – Certified identification issued by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF)
 – A letter of authorization
 – The original ID of the authorized representative
3. Death Certificate for Unemployed Veterans:
 The first three copies are free of charge. Starting from the fourth copy, a fee of NT$50 per copy will apply.

Discharge and Referral

1. Discharge is processed at the nursing station.
2. When the physician determines that the patient is ready for discharge, he/she will prescribe medication and make an appointment for a follow-up visit at the clinic. A diagnosis certificate can be requested if needed.
3. The nursing station will print out the patient’s bill for all hospital fees when processing discharge.
4. If the patient has signed a savings transfer agreement, the fees will be deducted directly from the account; the nursing station will print the receipt and a pick-up slip for medication.
5. Patients should present their hospital bill at the registration counter and pay in cash or credit card. Patients will be given a receipt and a pick-up slip for any medication they have been prescribed.
6. Veterans who have stored valuable possessions at the hospital should obtain a storage certificate from the nursing station and present it at the Office of Social Work.
7. Patients wishing to transfer to another hospital for treatment should request a patient transfer form.

Additional information

1. If for some reason items have not been included on the hospital bill on discharge, the hospital will mail the patient a bill for the unpaid services.
2. The hospital has a guest house for the family of ICU patients which is provided at a daily charge of NT$300. If the services of a ward helper or an ambulance are needed, please register at the nursing station.
3. For information on local funeral parlor services, please call 23592525 ext. 2560.
4. Extension numbers for the information desk in each building :
   • (1) Outpatient Building : 2977, 2978 
   • (2) 1st Medical Building : 2998, 2999  
   • (3) 2nd Medical Building : 2957 
   • (4) Emergency Medical Services : 3652
5. Medical Information Center : (04) 2359-2525 ext. 2561
6. Dietitian Consultation : (04) 2359-2525 ext. 2601
7. Medication Consultation : (04) 2359-2525 ext. 4647 (clinic medication), 4625, 4641 (medication after discharge)
8. Phone number for making an appointment : (04) 2359-2311 ext. 5
9. Phone number for physical examination : (04) 2374-1288
10. Hospital Website : www.vghtc.gov.tw
11. Phone numbers for suggestions and complaints :
    • (1) (04) 2374-1222 for general problems
    • (2) (04) 2374-1246 for ethical/legal problems.
    • (3) Email : email@vghtc.gov.tw
    • (4) Mailbox : P.O. Box 46-95 Taichung City