Unclear private health-care pricing

Cheng Wong

The Consumer Council has identified a lack of transparency by private medical services, finding many of their pricing details inadequate and hard to understand.

A survey released by the council yesterday found private health care services' price disclosures often unclear, with some fee schedules not disclosing pricing criteria.

From 2021 to 2024, the council recorded 191 complaints against private hospitals and day procedure centers involving over HK$7.2 million, mostly disputing prices or charges.

It found significant price disparities among different private hospitals. For example, the cost of in-patient hemorrhoidectomy varied by up to 152 percent between hospitals.

Charges for the same treatment could differ by 50 to 60 percent in a single institution.

The council also determined the services' pricing mechanisms to be unclear, with little to no disclosure of pricing standards for consumers. In one instance, patients paying for surgery with insurance were being charged an additional HK$6,000.

The council suggested that private medical institutions put price lists online so the government could establish guidelines, specifying essential information for disclosure.

It also advised optimizing the regulatory framework for pricing, improving mechanisms for handling billing disputes, and strengthening consumer education.

Tim Pang Hung-cheong, an advocate from the Society for Community Organization, said patients can elevate complaints regarding unfair charges to the Committee on Complaints against Private Healthcare Facilities.