1 in 4 Hongkongers unaware of public healthcare fee waiver expansion: survey
Lawmakers call on authorities to ramp up efforts to promote reform, set to come into force in January 2026
One in four Hongkongers is unaware of the expansion of a medical fee waiver mechanism, a survey has found, with lawmakers urging the government to ramp up efforts to promote the public healthcare subsidy regime reform set to be implemented in six months.
The survey, involving 724 respondents and conducted by the city’s largest workers’ union between April 22 and May 13, showed that some participants lacked a clear understanding of the measures that were aimed at broadening the safety net in public hospitals.
Lawmaker Stanley Ng Chau-pei, president of the Federation of Trade Unions, said residents were more familiar with the measures related to fee increases, including in accident and emergency (A&E) rooms, and general outpatient clinics.
“When residents have a limited understanding of the reform, how can the government effectively implement the measures?” he said.
“The government should ramp up its efforts to promote the reform, especially in areas concerning how it will increase support for patients.”
The survey found 29 per cent of respondents did not know about the relaxation of income and asset limits of the fee waiver mechanism, while about a quarter had no idea about the HK$10,000 (US$1,274) cap on annual spending for public healthcare services.