台灣地區洗腎病患增加速度相較於其他國家有加快現象，因此政府所面臨的問題除了須花費相當大的健康照護預算來治療透析病患外，更應設法提昇病患的生活品質。台灣民眾的就醫行為雖以西醫療法為主，但許多民眾仍習慣輔以非傳統西醫療法處理其健康問題。當慢性腎衰竭病患選擇使用非傳統西醫療法輔助西醫治療時，即可能必須長期支付一筆固定費用。病患若能獲得商業健康保險的現金給付，將可降低其利用非傳統西醫療法時的財務負擔。全民健康保險及商業健康保險的合併運用將對提升慢性腎衰竭病患的生活品質產生實質助益。研究目的：一、瞭解洗腎病患對非傳統西醫療法的利用情形；二、瞭解洗腎病患利用非傳統西醫療法的各項支出；三、瞭解洗腎病患保險利用的情形。四、分析洗腎病患人口學特質、健康狀況與保險利用間的相關性；五、分析洗腎病患保險利用與非傳統西醫療法利用間的相關性。研究方法：本研究採立意取樣方式，以問卷訪問2004年4月5日到4月17日在台中縣某區域醫院之血液透析室病患，共計取得45份有效問卷。研究結果：一、研究樣本對非傳統西醫療法的利用，以使用運動療法者最多，有35人（77.78%），此療法的平均支出大部分在1千元以下。合併使用一種以上的非傳統西醫療法，比率相當高。二、研究樣本曾購買商業保險產品者有19人，其中又以人壽保險比例最高，佔89.47%，購買商業健康保險有7人（36.84%）。三、人口學特質中性別、是否有工作、洗腎前後是否有收入、及洗腎頻率等變項與病患是否有參加社會保險或購買商業保險，並無顯著相關。僅洗腎病患的洗腎家族史與商業保險的購買有關，且達統計顯著水準。四、樣本是否參加社會保險或購買商業保險均與其是否採用非傳統西醫療法無顯著相關。

The number of dialysis patients has increased considerably in Taiwan compared to other countries. Therefore, the health administration is facing the challenges of enormous expenditure on caring for dialysis patients as well as bettering the quality of life of the patients. Although most patients seek western medical care, a significant number of them resort to alternative medicine as supplementary treatments. It is anticipated that receiving both traditional care and alternative treatments would result in a huge financial burden for the patients in a long term. Patients who have purchased health insurance would benefit from insurance cash compensation to pay the expenses for alternative treatments. Hence, commercial health insurance and National Health Insurance complement each other when it comes to improving the quality of life for chronic kidney failure patients. The present study aims to investigate (1) utilization rate of alternative treatments, (2) costs on alternative treatments, (3) health insurance utilization, (4) the relationships between demographic characteristics, health status, and insurance utilization, and (5) the relationship between insurance utilization and seeking alternative treatments for dialysis patients. Purpose sampling was conducted on kidney failure patients receiving dialysis from 2004/4/5 to 2004/4/17 at a regional hospital in Taichung county. Sample patients were interviewed by well-trained interviewers with structured questionnaires. 45 valid questionnaires were collected. The study results show that most patients (77.78%) chose exercise as their alternative treatment. The average cost for this treatment was less than 1000 dollars. The rate of seeking more than two alternative treatments was very high. In addition, 19 study subjects have purchased commercial insurance. Among all insurance choices, the purchase rate for life insurance was the highest (89.47%); 36.84% of the subjects were health insurance beneficiaries. Moreover, there was no clear indication that gender, job, fixed income, and dialysis frequency are factors in patients who purchased commercial insurance. Study results further reveal that the only factor that was significantly associated with purchasing commercial insurance is family history of dialysis. Lastly, there is no significant association between insurance utilization and receiving alternative treatments.