Press Releases
Enhanced fee assistance scheme in place when fees revamp kicks in
The Government will strengthen and enhance the existing medical fee assistance scheme to assist the lower-income group, elderly with limited means and chronic patients when the medical fee restructuring is implemented, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, said today (November 14).
Dr Yeoh met representatives of the Livelihood Alliance led by Mr Ho Hei-wah to exchange views on restructuring of fees and charges for public health care services.
Speaking after the meeting, Dr Yeoh stressed that the imposition of Accident and Emergency (A&E) charge would not lead to delayed treatment.
"Rendering prompt and proper treatment to patients remains the top priority of the Hospital Authority's A&E departments. The registration and payment procedures will be simple and will not affect the prompt provision of medical services. The bill can be settled later if patients have difficulties to pay after treatment.
"As A&E is usually a one-off service and considering the low frequency of usage for most patients, we are confident that individual A&E patients who have difficulties paying the charge can be adequately dealt with by our present waiver system," he said.
Dr Yeoh reassured the public that the Government would not depart from its long-held policy that no one would be denied adequate medical care due to lack of means.
"By the time the whole new fee structure kicks in, we will have a new system to ensure that the fee restructuring does not affect disproportionately the vulnerable groups including not just Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients but the lower-income group, elderly with limited means and chronic patients.
"Using the database of HA, we would simplify the existing procedures so that needy patients can get exemption for a period of time," he said.
In determining a patient's eligibility for exemptions, considerations would be given to the patient's income level and other financial conditions, clinical condition in terms of frequency of use of services, age, and the possible family relationship problems.
Approved by the Executive Council last Tuesday (November 5), the levy of a $100 A&E charge would be effective from November 29, 2002 while fees and charges for other health care services at public hospitals and Department of Health clinics would be moderately increased when the Financial Secretary lifted the current moratorium on public fees.
"In view of the longer hospitalisation period and hence higher financial burden, the charges for convalescent, rehabilitation, infirmary and psychiatric beds in general hospitals would remain unchanged," Dr Yeoh said.
He rejected claims that the fee restructuring was related to the budget deficit of either the Government or the HA.
"Fee restructuring is proposed as one of the three strategic initiatives in addressing the long term financial sustainability of our health care system in the 'Consultation Document on Health Care Reform'.
"With a view to ensuring the long term financial sustainability of our health care system, the fee increase is necessary to better target our finite resources at the needy and at services which pose high financial risk to patients, thereby achieving better efficiency and equity," he added.
Thursday, November 14, 2002