Since Hong Kong’s public healthcare fee reform began at the start of the year, roughly 280,000 patients have received full fee waivers—a twenty‑fold jump from the earlier total of 14,000, according to the health minister.
Health Secretary Lo Chung‑mau disclosed the figures on Saturday while defending the reform, which increased user charges for non‑urgent and less serious services to lower the government’s subsidy share. He added that the adjustments aim to make better use of existing resources and bolster protection for vulnerable populations.
He said, “In just eight months since the rollout, the number of people benefiting from full medical fee waivers has risen from 14,000 to 280,000—an increase of more than twenty times.”
The new public healthcare fee system, launched on January 1, seeks to sustain the healthcare system amid pressures from an ageing population.
Under the revised fee schedule, a visit to an accident and emergency department at a public hospital now costs HK$400 (approximately US$51) for less urgent cases, up from the previous range of HK$50–HK$150 per visit.
Eligibility for subsidised or free healthcare is also set to grow substantially, expanding from 300,000 to 1.4 million individuals after the relaxation of income and asset thresholds.
