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Following is a question by the Hon Patrick Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Miss Denise Yue, on medical and dental benefits for civil service eligible persons in the Legislative Council today (November 7):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council of the number of senior civil servants who were provided, in each of the past five years, with free medical and dental benefits by the Government and the relevant average cost per person?
Reply:
Madam President,
Medical and dental benefits are provided to civil service eligible persons (i.e. civil servants/pensioners and their eligible dependants, and other eligible persons) through the facilities managed by the Hospital Authority (HA) and Department of Health (DH). Civil servants, irrespective of grades and ranks, pensioners and all other eligible persons are entitled to the same level of medical and dental benefits.
The total strength of the civil service and the costs relevant to the provision of civil service medical and dental benefits for the past five years are set out below:
Strength Cost of Cost of Revenue
of the services services forgone
civil provided provided for
service by HA($M) by DH($M) services
(note 1) (note 2) (note 2) provided
-------- -------- -------- by HA($M)
(note 4)
--------
2002 173,029 Not 576.9 168.1
-03 available
2003 169,100 1,885.0 469.9 248.8
-04 (note 3)
2004 163,039 1,828.0 437.8 270.7
-05
2005 157,300 1,859.0 455.0 295.4
-06
2006 155,019 1,999.0 484.4 301.2
-07
Note :
(1) There are no readily available statistics on the number of other eligible persons (namely eligible dependants of civil servants, pensioners and their eligible dependants, and other eligible persons).
(2) The overall cost of services (estimated cash expenditure) provided by HA/DH to all civil service eligible persons.
(3) General out-patient clinics were transferred from DH to HA with effect from July 2003.
(4) The overall revenue forgone for services provided by HA to all civil service eligible persons.
Ends/Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:50
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