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In the Health Care Reform Consultation Document published in December
2000, one of the strategic directions on health care financing was to
revamp the fee structure of Hong Kong's public health care sector, so
that the public subsidies could be targeted to areas of most need, and
inappropriate use and misuse of services could be reduced.
Following a comprehensive review to examine how the
relative priorities of services provided may be reflected in the subsidy
level, the Administration announced its decision to revamp the fee structure
of the public health care system in November 2002. All revised charges
had taken effect from April 1, 2003. Following the fee restructuring,
charges continue to be affordable to the public. Overall, the government
subsidy still represents a high level of 96 per cent of costs.
It has been the Government's policy that no one will
be denied adequate medical care due to lack of means. To ensure that this
principle is upheld after the introduction of charges for accident and
emergency service at public hospitals in November 2002, recipients of
Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) have been exempted from
payment of the charges. In addition, an enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism
has been implemented to enable vulnerable groups other than CSSA recipients,
including low-income patients, chronically ill patients and elderly patients
in economic hardship, to be granted a fee waiver for accident and emergency
and other public medical services. |
