DH signs service agreements with medical institutions newly included in Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme (with photos)
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The signing ceremony was held at the Central Government Offices. Addressing the ceremony, the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, said, "On behalf of the HKSAR Government, I would like to express my gratitude to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province and the health authorities of relevant cities for their continuous support and assistance to the HKSAR Government in further extending the Pilot Scheme to cover all nine Mainland cities in the GBA. It will not only provide greater convenience and flexibility to the eligible Hong Kong elderly persons to safeguard and address their medical needs for a happy and healthy ageing life, but also further promote medical co-operation in the GBA to jointly build a 'Healthy Bay Area'."
The 12 medical institutions newly included in the Pilot Scheme are:
| GBA city | Name of medical institution |
| Guangzhou | Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine |
| Guangdong Clifford Hospital | |
| Shenzhen (including the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone) |
Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University |
| Peking University Shenzhen Hospital | |
| Zhuhai | The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University |
| Zhuhai People's Hospital | |
| Foshan | The First People's Hospital of Foshan |
| The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University (Previously: Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University) |
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| Huizhou | Huizhou Central People’s Hospital |
| Zhongshan | Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine |
| Jiangmen | Jiangmen Central Hospital |
| Zhaoqing | The First People's Hospital of Zhaoqing |
With the expansion of the number of pilot medical institutions from the current seven to 19 in total, together with the two existing service points operated by the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, eligible Hong Kong elderly persons will be able to use the Elderly Health Care Voucher (EHCV) for outpatient healthcare services at a total of 21 service points in the GBA.
"The DH will continue to actively collaborate with the newly included pilot medical institutions to finalise the follow-up arrangements in accordance with the service agreements, such as personnel training, financial arrangements and system configuration. We will strive for the newly included pilot medical institutions to launch the relevant arrangements gradually by the fourth quarter of this year, so as to enable eligible Hong Kong elderly persons to use EHCVs at more service points as soon as possible, and to make better use of the primary healthcare services to improve their health and gain a greater sense of happiness. Co-operation on medical and health issues is an important component of the development of the GBA and is vital to promoting the well-being of the people in the region," said Dr Lam.
Launched by the Government in 2009, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) currently subsidises eligible Hong Kong elderly persons aged 65 and above with an annual voucher amount of $2,000 (with the accumulation limit set at $8,000) for them to choose in their own community private primary healthcare services that best suit their health needs. The Government launched the Pilot Scheme last year to extend the coverage of EHCVs to suitable medical institutions in the GBA. As of September of the same year, the coverage of EHCVs has been extended to seven integrated medical/dental institutions located in Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Dongguan and Shenzhen.
Upon the launch of the Pilot Scheme last year, as of end-March 2025, about 13 350 eligible elderly persons have used EHCVs to pay for the fees of outpatient healthcare services received at medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme, involving 24 645 voucher claim transactions and a total claimed amount at approximately $32.16 million.
In addition, the "Cross-boundary Health Record" and "Personal Folder" functions of the eHealth mobile application will also be applicable to the medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme, with a view to offering convenience for Hong Kong citizens to self-carry their electronic health records for cross-boundary uses.
Members of the public may refer to the EHVS website (www.hcv.gov.hk) or call the hotline (2838 2311) for more information on the EHVS.
Ends/Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Issued at HKT 17:10
Issued at HKT 17:10
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