Table 1

Summary of the Taiwan NHI reimbursement criteria for noncirrhotic hepatitis B antiviral treatment*

	Status	ALT	Serum DNA or liver biopsy
HBsAg(+)	Decompensation†	N/A	N/A
	HBeAg(+)	ALT≥5× ULN	N/A
	HBeAg(+)	2×≤ALT < 5×ULN	DNA ≥20 000 IU/mL or HBcAg(+) in liver biopsy
	HBeAg(−)	ALT≥2× ULN twice in 6 months, with interval >3 months	DNA ≥2000 IU/mL or HBcAg(+) in liver biopsy

*The criteria for HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients were issued in October 2003 and August 2004, respectively. Treatment duration was extended from 18 months to 3 years in November 2009.
†Liver decompensation, defined as prolonged prothrombin time ≥3 s or total bilirubin ≥2.0 mg/dL.
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; HBcAg, hepatitis B core antigen; HBeAg, hepatitis B e antigen; HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen; N/A, not applicable; NHI, National Health Insurance; ULN, upper limit of normal; ULN, upper limit of normal.