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Following is a question by the Hon Tam Huen-man and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (May 30):
Question:
Some accountants who need to commute to and from the Mainland for work have told me that one of their major worries about working on the Mainland is the medical services provided there. They have pointed out that quite a number of mainland medical institutions regard Hong Kong people as foreigners and collect from them huge amounts of deposits, and provide medical services only after receiving the deposits. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of Hong Kong people who needed to seek help from the offices of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Mainland in the past three years because they could not afford the deposits collected by mainland medical institutions, and how such cases were followed-up; and
(b) whether it will request the relevant mainland authorities to consider collecting medical service deposits from Hong Kong people holding Permits for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (commonly known as "home return cards"), the Home Visit Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents or Hong Kong identity cards at the same level as that from mainland residents, and in case of emergency, providing Hong Kong people with medical services before collecting deposits from them?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) In the past three years, no Hong Kong resident sought assistance from the offices of the Hong Kong SAR Government in the Mainland for the reason that they could not afford the deposits requested by medical institutions in the Mainland.
(b) We have no plans at this stage to request the Mainland authorities to consider implementing the arrangement cited in the question. As we understand, how Mainland medical institutions charge deposits varies from institution to institution. The health and price regulatory authorities do not impose a unified requirement. Generally speaking, Mainland medical institutions charge a similar level of deposits for Mainland people, Hong Kong people and expatriates, but the exact amount would be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Some insurance companies in Hong Kong offer medical card services. Cardholders are eligible to be admitted into appointed hospitals for medical treatments without paying deposits. People who need to commute to and from the Mainland for work may wish to purchase such services according to their individual needs.
Ends/Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:51
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