HA announces application arrangements under enhanced medical fee waiving mechanism
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (October 31) the application arrangements under the enhanced medical fee waiving mechanism. Patients with appointments at public hospitals next year can submit advance applications for medical fee waivers in phases starting from November 2025. Additionally, the HA will implement special transitional arrangements from January to March next year to facilitate applications from persons in need. The HA has established dedicated teams to assist patients with fee waiver applications.
AnHA spokesperson said, "As the public healthcare fees and charges reform takes effect on January 1 next year, the HA will simultaneously introduce a series of strengthened protection measures, including enhancing the current medical fee waiver mechanism, which will increase the number of eligible beneficiaries from 300 000 to 1.4 million."
To handle the additional fee waiver applications, the HA will implement special transitional arrangements during the transition period from January to March next year to ensure timely processing of applications:
Patients with appointments at public hospitals in January or February next year can submit required documentation two months in advance (i.e.in November or December 2025). Applications will be pre-assessed, and eligible patients will receive medical fee waiver certificates before their follow-up appointments after the Reform takes effect on January 1; and
Patients requiring immediate or urgent treatment, who cannot afford medical expenses at the public sector but cannot provide complete documentation for financial assessment, will be granted "conditional waivers"for full or partial medical fees. Eligible patients need only submit relevant documents within three months to receive official medical fee waiver certificates upon passing the assessment.
Meanwhile, patients currently holding medical fee waiver certificates (full or partial) can continue using them until expiry without reapplication. Patients with partial fee waiver certificates who qualify for full waivers under the enhanced mechanism can obtain full waivers by declaring no significant change in financial status at Medical Social Services Units (MSSU) three months before appointments or within three months after hospitalisation, without requiring reassessment. The validity will be the same as the original certificate's expiry date.
As an important part of the public healthcare fees and charges reform, the medical fee waiver thresholds will be relaxed from January 1 next year. The income limit will be raised to 100 per cent of the median monthly household income (MMDHI) (for households with two or more persons) or 150 per cent of MMDHI (for single-person households), while the asset limit will be relaxed to that of the public rental housing application. Furthermore, the application procedures and coverage will be enhanced to facilitate public access, including relaxing the definition of "household" so that family members without close financial ties to the applicant may be excluded from means testing; expanding the coverage of periodic medical fee waivers to include episodic Family Medicine Out-patient Services; extending the maximum waiver validity period from 12 months to 18 months; and allowing patients to simply sign a declaration confirming unchanged financial status for reapplication within 18 months without resubmitting financial documents.
Patients can apply for medical fee waivers at MSSU in public hospitals or clinics, as well as the Social Welfare Department's Integrated Family Service Centres, Family and Child Protective Services Units, or other designated service units. Members of the public can also learn about application procedures through the HA's mobile application "HA Go" by accessing the "Medical Fee Assistance Domain" and preliminarily assess their eligibility through the Means Test Calculator (applicable for applications from January 1, 2026) via "HA Go" or the HA website(ewsecal.ha.org.hk/calculator/index.html?lang=en).
The HA will utilise confirmed means test eligibility under social welfare and other government-subsidised schemes as a reference for processing fee waiver applications, aiming to make arrangements and procedures as clear and simple as possible for the public. The HA will also gradually digitalise the assessment process, allowing applicants to check application status and upload documents through the HA Go mobile application by the end of this year, with the goal of enabling online applications by the third quarter of next year.
The spokesperson added, "The HA has established dedicated teams starting from November to ensure timely processing of medical fee waiver applications received by all public hospitals."
Additionally, after the public healthcare fees and charges reform takes effect in January next year, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals will continue its mission of providing free outpatient services to those in need. Eligible persons seeking outpatient services at Tung Wah Eastern Hospital, Tung Wah Hospital, and Kwong Wah Hospital will continue to be exempted from the following fees:
Attendance and prescription fees at Family Medicine Clinics (excluding integrated clinics) (applicable to all Eligible Persons)
Attendance fee at Specialist Outpatient Clinics (excluding integrated clinics and allied health clinics) (applicable only to Eligible Persons aged 75 or above, or aged 12 or below)
Furthermore, the HA has gazetted today the fee revisions for Non-eligible Persons, non-subsidised services at public hospitals, and remaining items of public healthcare services, which will take effect from January 1, 2026. Charges for Non-eligible Persons will be adjusted based on the 2023-24 service cost levels, while fees for non-subsidised services will be adjusted based on cost recovery principles, with reference to market rates. These services will not be subsidised by public funding. The HA will also adjust certain hospital administrative fees (such as certificates and medical reports, photocopying charges, and mortuary). The HA's new fee arrangements are listed in the Annex.
Source: AI-found images
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (May 21) released the fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in May, covering 12 survey areas, as follows:
District |
Survey Area |
May 2026 |
First Phase Gravidtrap Index |
First Phase Density Index |
Eastern |
Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho |
9.1% |
1.4 |
Islands |
Tung Chung |
2.0% |
1.0 |
Kowloon City |
Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan |
6.7% |
1.5 |
Tai Po |
Tai Po East |
2.2% |
2.0 |
Tai Po West |
15.5% |
1.0 |
Tuen Mun |
Tuen Mun South |
9.1% |
1.4 |
District |
Survey Area |
May 2026 |
Area Gravidtrap Index |
Area Density Index |
Central and Western |
Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui |
16.8% |
1.3 |
Eastern |
Chai Wan |
15.4% |
1.0 |
North Point and Quarry Bay |
18.9% |
1.4 |
Southern |
Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau |
20.8% |
1.7 |
Sha Tin |
Sha Tin Town Centre and Fo Tan |
18.3% |
1.4 |
Tsuen Wan |
Tsuen Wan Town |
6.9% |
2.3 |
The fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May includes First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas. Among which, six survey areas recorded gravidtrap indexes above 10 per cent, while Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District recorded a gravidtrap index above 20 per cent. Meanwhile, the gravidtrap indexes of six survey areas, namely Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui in Central and Western District; North Point and Quarry Bay in Eastern District; Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho in Eastern District; Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District; Tai Po East in Tai Po District; and Tuen Mun South in Tuen Mun District, have recorded a decrease as compared to the indexes recorded in the last survey period, reflecting the progress of relevant mosquito control work.
With reference to the data from the past few years, the gravidtrap indexes start to rise from April or May every year. The actual timing and extent of the rise are affected by factors like weather conditions and rainfall. The average temperature and rainfall recorded in April this year were higher than those in the same period last year, creating favourable conditions for mosquito growth and breeding. As a result, the rise in gravidtrap indexes occurred earlier this year. With the increase in rainfall in May, the gravidtrap indexes are expected to rise further.
For survey areas which recorded indexes exceeding 10 per cent, in accordance with the mechanism implemented by the FEHD in response to the chikungunya fever (CF) situation (i.e. strengthening mosquito control work in areas with a gravidtrap index between 10 per cent and 20 per cent, instead of 20 per cent or above under the original mechanism), the FEHD is collaborating with relevant departments and stakeholders to identify locations with high mosquito infestations and carry out intensive and targeted mosquito control measures. The FEHD has initiated two prosecutions against the relevant construction site contractors following the discovery of mosquito breeding at construction sites in Tai Po District and Southern District. Moreover, following the discovery of stagnant water or stagnant water containers in a park, a construction site, a private housing estate, a clinic and a private premises in Tai Po District, Central and Western District, as well as Southern District, the FEHD has issued five statutory notices to the responsible persons-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such items within a specified timeframe. The FEHD, the relevant departments and stakeholders are following up on the mosquito control work, and will also organise exhibitions, distribute leaflets and posters, and notify residential estates that have subscribed to the gravidtrap Rapid Alert System, advising property management agents and residents to stay vigilant and work together in taking mosquito prevention and elimination measures. In addition, the FEHD will strengthen the monitoring of the gravidtrap index in the areas to review the effectiveness of the mosquito control work.
Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:
tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside the premises;
remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;
check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;
properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;
properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and
scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of CF transmission.
Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department's webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in May Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
