The Health Bureau, together with the Hospital Authority, today held the first District Council (DC) briefing on reforms to public healthcare fees and charges, explaining these to more than 200 DC members and local people.
Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said the reforms will enhance healthcare protection for “poor, acute, serious, critical patients”, rationalise subsidy levels for public hospital services, and reduce wastage and abuse, while enhancing the overall sustainability of the public healthcare system.
He added: “Through this briefing, we hope to elaborate details of the reform to DC members, and leverage the role of DCs as a bridge to help members of the public better understand that the reform is pursued for their benefits.”
The authority’s Deputising Chief Executive Dr Simon Tang highlighted three key measures aimed at strengthening healthcare protection, namely enhancing the medical fee waiver mechanism, introducing an annual cap of $10,000 for public healthcare fees and charges, and optimising the application and subsidisation of innovative drugs and medical devices.
Since the announcement of the reforms, the bureau and authority have been working to explain them to the Legislative Council, members of the public, and stakeholders across various sectors.
A means test calculator has been launched on the authority’s website and on its mobile app, “HA Go”, allowing users to input information on their household income and assets to view a preliminary assessment of their eligibility for the enhanced medical fee waiver and the Samaritan Fund.
The new fees and charges will take effect on January 1 next year. The bureau and the authority will organise another DC briefing next week.
