Letters | Why not let Hongkongers pay medical fees with MPF, like in Singapore?

Readers discuss ways to alleviate the fiscal healthcare burden, the impact of the fee revision on low-income families, and the Chinese term for primary healthcare

Reading Time:3 minutes

A busy day at the Accident & Emergency Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Jordan, Hong Kong, on March 25. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 11:30am, 2 Apr 2025

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Amid an economic slowdown and Hong Kong’s current fiscal difficulties, the Hospital Authority is planning to reform its system of fees and charges. Changes are scheduled to be implemented in January 2026.

Such a move is prudent as our public hospitals are heavily subsidised. If the subsidies are not financially sustainable, medical service provision will be affected. But apart from adjusting medical fees, Hong Kong must also explore other avenues to alleviate the fiscal burden.

In his article “Fee increases won’t solve Hong Kong’s healthcare financing crisis”, Professor Wilson Wong gave some constructive suggestions. In particular, he mentioned using mandatory health insurance schemes or health savings accounts to supplement public funding. Indeed, why not allow Hongkongers to use part of their Mandatory Provident Fund to pay for their medical expenses? Such an arrangement could be a responsible way to alleviate the fiscal burden.

Reform could go even further. Our health authorities often criticise people for misusing accident and emergency services. However, has the Hospital Authority provided enough clinics at the district level as an alternative?

Picture yourself in this situation. If there are not enough clinics providing services at night, patients will go to the regional hospital almost immediately, increasing the A&E’s workload. If enough round-the-clock service was provided at the district level, it would reduce A&E workload at the hospitals, which could focus on handling the truly serious cases. The clinics could decide whether patients needed to be sent to the hospital.