New public hospital fees gazetted (with photo)
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The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson announced today (June 16) that the revised fees for public hospital services were gazetted today and will take effect from the start of June 18 (Sunday).
The spokesperson said the fees revision covers the services for Eligible Persons, Non-eligible Persons and private patients. Public hospitals have already put up posters to keep all patients informed of the new fees and charges. The new fees will also be updated on the HA website (www. ha.org.hk) on June 18. (The new fee tables are appended.)
"Members of the public will have to pay the new fees when attending public hospital services from June 18. Patients who have registered and paid at an Accident and Emergency Department before the start of June 18 but only receive treatment after midnight would not be charged for the difference between the old and new fees," the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson further said the revised fees and charges will also be applicable to the HA's relevant clinical Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programmes, including the General Outpatient Clinic-PPP Programme, the Tin Shui Wai Primary Care Partnership Project, the Haemodialysis PPP Programme and the Provision of Infirmary Service through PPP. Participating patients of these programmes have to pay the new fees in accordance with the co-payment principle. The participating patients, private doctors and service providers have already been informed accordingly.
Furthermore, the HA will enhance the medical fee waiver mechanism to benefit people in need including the chronically ill, the elderly and low-income groups by streamlining the application process, relaxing the upper boundary of the asset limit and extension of the wavier period to 12 months starting from June 18.
Public hospitals have already put up posters to publicise the enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism. Members of the public can obtain the details of the waiver mechanism through the HA website (www.ha.org.hk) and submit applications to the medical social workers of public hospitals as well as the Integrated Family Services Centres under the Social Welfare Department.
Ends/Friday, June 16, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:55
Issued at HKT 16:55
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