TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's two medically trained presidential candidates said they will increase funding for long-term healthcare serivces, but disagree on by how much and how to pay for it.

Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te (賴清德) announced his policy on Thursday (Sept. 21) that would increase the maximum subsidy for those using in-home care services by NT$50,000 (US$1,560) to NT$180,000 per year, per CNA. The change would follow the government’s decision to double the subsidies in May.

Lai also said the policy will strengthen in-home care for the severely disabled, which includes services that provide full time carers or visiting carers. This will include establishing 24-hour support services, and making dedicated emergency services available, he said.

Lai also said the government should engage in public-private partnerships to build more care facilities. He added the government would establish some quality indicators for operators to ensure the quality of the services.

Care services using one carer for many patients will be increased for those with mild to moderate disabilities, Lai said. This will give carers a chance to catch their breath, and prevent them from leaving their jobs.

The budget for long-term care will reach NT$87.6 billion next year, Lai said. He added that tax income is currently sufficient to meet the financial needs of the services.

Meanwhile, Taiwan People’s Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), said the increases are not enough, and that Lai's plan cannot be paid for. Lai’s improvement is like a student that increases their test score from 20% to 40%, and claims they are doing well, he said.

Ko said the long-term care budget should be increased to NT$230 billion, or 1% of GDP, per Now News. He also said the government should further relax the threshold for applying for foreign caregivers.

Ko also said a national insurance system similar to Taiwan’s National Health Insurance should be established to fund long-term healthcare. He said this should be paid for 40% by the government, 40% by private enterprises, and 20% by the user.

Both Ko and Lai worked as doctors before they entered politics. From the late 1980s until elected mayor of Taipei in 2014, Ko worked as a surgeon and developed a national profile during this time.

Lai was a health platoon leader in Taiwan's army and worked as a doctor in Tainan. He left his medical career after he was elected to represent Tainan nationally in 1996.