Patients must pay 14 days ahead for imaging appointments under new hospital fee model

Non-urgent radiology services at public hospitals will no longer be entirely free from January 1, as the Hospital Authority (HA) moves to a co-payment model under the government’s broader public healthcare fee reform.

The HA emphasized that even after the change, the subsidy level for radiology services will remain at about 90 percent.

Under the new structure, basic X-ray examinations will continue to be free. More advanced imaging procedures — such as ultrasound scans and mammography — will cost HK$250. Higher-end procedures including CT scans and MRI scans will cost HK$500.

Patients must settle payment at least 14 days before their appointment date; otherwise, the booking will be automatically canceled.

HA Director of Quality and Safety, Michael Wong Lap-gate, said the shift to co-payment aims to ensure public resources are used more efficiently. He noted that in the past, around 10 percent of patients failed to attend their scheduled radiology appointments without canceling in advance.

Wong said he hopes the new mechanism will reduce no-show cases and shorten overall waiting times. He added that first-priority patients are expected to benefit the most, as hospital clusters can reassign vacated time slots to urgent cases.

“A slot that used to take around two weeks to secure could be shortened to just over a week, or even less,” he said, describing the impact on diagnostic and treatment timelines.

He also explained that the fee levels were determined by factors such as procedure complexity, duration of service, equipment involved, and patients’ ability to pay. Radiology exams required during hospitalization or during accident and emergency (A&E) consultations will remain free, as they are considered urgent services. Charges apply mainly to outpatient or post-discharge appointments.

Wong stressed that patients who no longer need their non-urgent radiology appointment may cancel at least 14 days in advance and receive a refund.

Responding to concerns that some patients might visit A&E to avoid the new charges, he said A&E doctors will assess whether a radiology exam is clinically necessary, and fee-waiver applications will be available for patients facing financial hardship.