Grassroots slam public healthcare fee reform for 'penalizing' patients

Grassroots citizens criticized the recently announced public healthcare charges reform, arguing that it “penalizes” those with multiple health issues.

The Society for Community Organization (SoCO) called for reducing unnecessary procedures in the medical charge waiver mechanism and expanding exemption categories.

Speaking at a SoCO media conference on Sunday, a citizen surnamed Mok shared that her family of four frequently visits public hospitals.

She has gallbladder and gastrointestinal issues, while her husband has problems with his ears, kidneys, and bones. Their current monthly medical expenses are about HK$1,000, but with upcoming fee increases, this could rise to approximately HK$3,000.

Mrs. Mok feared the price hike would place significant pressure on her family, stating, “I’ve had trouble sleeping for several nights since hearing about the increase.”

The reform announced by the Hospital Authority on March 25 will take effect on January 1, 2026, with accident and emergency services charging HK$400 per visit (excluding critical and emergency cases), general outpatient services increasing to HK$150, and specialist outpatient services rising to HK$250.

Another citizen surnamed Ng stated that she is a patient with a chronic illness who needs to visit doctors every two to three months, worrying her annual costs could rise from HK$2,000 to HK$3,000 to about HK$7,000 to HK$8,000 after reforms.

Ms. Ng said that although the authorities have set a HK$10,000 cap on annual expenses per patient, she considers the reform still feels like a “punishment for citizens with multiple health issues.”

While the HA has introduced a medical charge waiver for those in financial difficulty, Mrs. Lan described the application process as “passing five gates and killing six generals,” hoping the government can be more lenient towards the elderly.

Noting that the government expects the optimized waiver mechanism to increase eligible beneficiaries from 300,000 to 1.4 million, Deputy Director of SoCO Sze Lai-shan highlighted that many citizens are unaware of the application process.

She stated even those who know are often hesitant to apply due to its complexity, calling it “worse than applying for the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme.”

Sze urged the authorities to streamline repetitive procedures and expand waiver categories, as many grassroots citizens have already undergone assessments for various government programs.

(Cheng Wong)