Proposed cap on how much Hong Kong’s elderly can spend on eye tests leaves optometrists fuming
- Health officials suggest HK$2,000 limit for medical vouchers scheme in bid to stop patients from spending money all in one place
Hong Kong health officials have proposed a HK$2,000 cap every two years on the value elderly residents can spend on optometric services using their medical care vouchers, drawing ire from the industry.
The government had initially considered a HK$1,000 cap, but raised it after consulting patients’ groups and optometrists.
The idea, according to Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee, is to discourage the elderly from spending all their vouchers on a single service, and to ensure a “decent balance” was kept for other pressing services, such as body check-ups and chronic illness prevention.
A recent review showed that more than three quarters of claims above HK$4,000 were made at optometrists last year, a worrying trend that could undermine the scheme’s effectiveness in promoting a more diverse use of primary health care services.
“Our review has shown that each claim for optometric services has been disproportionately high in terms of per claim amount and total expenses,” Chan said.