PEOPLE WITH SLEEP APNEA NO LONGER CLASSED 'DISABLED'|睡眠呼吸中止症 4/5起不再納身障資格

Starting from April 5th, patients suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) would no longer qualify for disability. Some doctors believe, before implementing the adjustment, the Ministry of Health and Welfare should also provide relevant supporting measures to protect these patients rights. On April 5th, Obstructive Sleep Apnea patients are no longer classed as disabled. Therefore, many people try to obtain a disability card before the 5th by rushing to the hospital to get a sleep in the sleep center. The beds are like the gold dust and the number of patients has been surging by 30% to 40% following the Ministry's announcement in January. Doctors thought severe OSA patients are at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, strokes, heart failure and so on and the MHW should have supporting measures. ==LIU WEN-TE, Dept. of Chest Medicine, TMU Shuangho Hospital== Disability cards can be canceled, but we should have supporting measures. Those who have already been diagnosed with OSA and are really undergoing treatment should be treated in a different and special way. We can subsidize their ventilators. OSA patients who have disability cards are entitled to half fare, reduction of income tax and vehicle license tax. Besides, they get additional points when taking exams. They are also subsidized for insurance, livelihood, loan, rent and most importantly, ventilators. Starting from April 5th, they can no longer enjoy the same benefits even if they are diagnosed with OSA. ==TSAI SHU-FEN MHAW, Dir. Dept. Nursing and Healthcare == Middle and low-income households are economically disadvantaged. In principle, they will be subsidized while ordinary people will not. The qualification for people with disabilities was not decided in terms of disease after it was adjusted in 2012. Therefore, OSA patients are no longer classified as disabled because they can live a normal life. TRANSLATED BY：BRYANT CHANG 從四月五日開始，睡眠呼吸中止症將不再納入身心障礙者資格，衛福部表示，這是因應身心障礙認定資格滾動式調整，但低收入戶仍會補助呼吸器費用，不過有專科醫師認為，衛福部應該提出相關配套，來保障此類病患的權益。 再過三天，睡眠呼吸中止症患者，就不能申請身心障礙資格，不少民眾希望能搶在期限前，到各大醫院睡眠中心睡上一晚，取得鑑定，領到最後的身障手冊，根據統計，原本就一床難求的睡眠中心，在衛福部一月份公告後，求診人數暴增到三四成，醫師也認為，重症的睡眠呼吸中止症患者，會增加心血管、中風、心臟衰竭等疾病風險，衛福部應該要有相關配套。 ==雙和醫院胸腔內科 醫師 劉文德== 殘障手冊可以取消 但應該要有配套的措施 已經確定診斷 也的確有在治療的病患 也許是專案的方式 可以給他一些呼吸器的補助 領有身障手冊的睡眠呼吸中止症患者，可以享有國內交通半價、停車公車等優惠，減免所得稅、牌照稅和享有保險補助，還有生活補助和貸款利息、租金等補助，也享有身障者的國考加分、和就業保障，最重要的還有呼吸器的補助，但四月五號之後，就算確診，也不能再享有同樣的福利。 ==TSAI SHU-FEN MHAW, Dir. Dept. Nursing and Healthcare 衛福部司長 蔡淑鳳== 我們對於低收和中低收入戶 我們原則上在經濟弱勢上 還是會優先來補助 一般戶的話就不會 在2012年調整身心障礙認定資格後，不再以疾病為主，考量不會影響到社會參與和日常生活，所以就決定排除睡眠呼吸中止症，取消患者的身障資格。 記者 陳姝君 郭俊麟 台北報導