Hospital Authority Enhances Medical Fee Waiver Process for Financially Needy Patients

Hospital Authority proactively assists patients and majority of medical fee waiver applications approved on same day

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

Following the implementation of public healthcare fees and charges reform, the Hospital Authority (HA) has enhanced its medical fee waiver mechanism to facilitate applications from patients with financial needs, strengthening protection for underprivileged and elderly patients. The HA spokesperson announced today (January 10) that the HA proactively assists eligible citizens in obtaining medical fee waivers before accessing medical services. The HA currently has processed an average of 5 000 medical fee waiver applications daily. According to approval records, approximately 85 per cent of applications are successfully approved on average, with some hospital clusters reaching nearly 90 per cent, and waivers are issued on the same day. For patients who are unable to provide all required documents at the time of application, "conditional waivers" can be issued within as quickly as 15 minutes, allowing immediate access to fee reduction. This ensures that no patient is denied from medical care due to lack of means.

The Hospital Authority (HA), Photo source: reference image

The HA reported that 54 658 medical fee waiver applications have been approved to date, including 33 759 cases have completed assessment and received formal waiver certificates. Under normal circumstances, waivers will be issued within approximately one hour of submitting all required documents. For patients who require urgent medical services but are unable to provide the necessary documentation for financial assessment, the HA has exercised flexible arrangements. By signing a declaration stating their financial situation meets the medical fee waiver eligibility criteria, patients can receive approval for "conditional waivers" within as fast as 15 minutes. The HA has exercised flexible arrangements to approve 20 899 "conditional waivers". These patients must submit the relevant documents for financial assessment within three months. If patients fail to submit the required documents within the deadline or do not meet the eligibility criteria, they will be required to settle all applicable fees (if any).

"Patients should allow sufficient time for medical fee waiver applications. For patients without immediate medical needs, it is advisable to begin the application process approximately one to two months before their scheduled appointments. Members of the public can also access information about medical fee waivers, including application procedures and required documents, in advance through the HA website or mobile application HA Go. They can also use the means test calculator to preliminarily evaluate their eligibility, ensuring a smoother application process," the HA spokesperson reminded.

The spokesperson emphasised that the enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism is a crucial measure of the public healthcare fees and charges reform to strengthen protection for patients facing financial hardship, and therefore requires financial assessment and not everyone will be eligible. Each application must be handled with due diligence for the use of public money. Patients have the responsibility to provide complete, accurate, truthful, and appropriate information for assessment and verification, ensuring that assistance reaches those truly in need.

While ensuring that no patient is denied from medical care due to lack of means, it is also essential to uphold the principle of prudent use of resources to prevent the limited and precious public resources being abused. Moreover, the supporting documents required for medical fee waiver applications are similar to those required for other social welfare or government subsidy schemes.

Patients need to submit income and asset proof documents for financial assessment while applying for medical fee waivers. In addition to common documentary proof such as land or non-owner-occupied property, cash in hand, bank savings, investments in stocks and shares, some applicants may keep cash in other accounts such as e-wallets, Hong Kong Jockey Club betting accounts, or have accessible insurance savings. Patients are also required to provide relevant supporting documents for these assets to accurately assess their eligibility for medical fee waivers. To ensure appropriate use of medical resources and prevent abuse, the HA will conduct regular reviews of approved cases randomly.

The HA has relaxed eligibility criteria and simplified the application procedures with the implementation of enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism. Patients or their family members who are currently receiving Old Age Living Allowance may be exempted from submitting certain documentary proof for financial assessment, with details as follows:

• For a two-member family where both members receive Old Age Living Allowance, the patient only needs to provide proof of receiving the allowance (such as bank statements) and will be exempted from submitting income and asset proof;

• For a two-member family where one member receives Old Age Living Allowance, provision of income proof will be exempted; and

• For a one-member family where the applicant receives Old Age Living Allowance, provision of asset proof will be exempted.

Furthermore, if a patient has household members included in the financial assessment who already possess approved medical fee waiver, the patient will not need to undergo a complete financial assessment. The HA will refer to the financial information submitted during their household member's medical fee waiver application and, depending on the actual circumstances, will only request necessary or missing information from the patient rather than conducting a full review from scratch. The patient will receive a waiver with the same validity period as their household member.

The HA is gradually enhancing its electronic system "Medical Fee Assistance Domain" (the domain) to support medical fee waiver applications. Patients can now upload required documents for financial assessment through the domain, receive push notifications about key application status, and check application details. Starting from the second quarter of 2026, patients will also be able to submit applications through the domain.

Patients waiting at the hospital, Photo source: reference image

CFS to follow up certain batches of powdered infant and young children formula with possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (January 10) said that, it took initiative to meet with Nestlé Hong Kong again today, and confirmed the company's today announcement of an additional batch of powdered infant and young children formula suspected to have possibly used the raw material concerned. Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall. The CFS has collected samples of powdered infant and young children formula from the market for Bacillus cereus testing, the test results so far were satisfactory. The Environmental and Ecology Bureau is also closely monitoring the supply situation of other formula milk powder and maintaining communication with other major suppliers. It is noted that there is sufficient formula milk powder to meet the demand.

The spokesman said, the CFS has been actively following up on Nestlé company's voluntary and precautionary recalls of certain batches of its powdered infant and young children formula in certain areas in Europe due to possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus in the individual raw material. According to the latest information from Nestlé Hong Kong today, an additional batch of its powdered infant and young children formula imported into Hong Kong might have used the raw material concerned. The CFS had earlier enhanced surveillance in the market and collected a sample from the above batch for testing of Bacillus cereus. The test result of the sample was satisfactory. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall.

Product details are as follows:

Product name (Net weight): NAN PRO 1 2 HMO (800g)

Batch number: 51670742F2

Best-before date: June 16, 2027

Place of Origin: Germany

"The CFS met Nestlé Hong Kong again today, urging them to properly handle the product recall issue and respond to public enquiries, in order to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests. In addition, the CFS and Nestlé Hong Kong have jointly followed up, six suspected affected batches of infant and young children formula products that had not entered the market were marked and sealed. An additional 15 batches are currently en route to Hong Kong and will also be marked and sealed upon arrival. The CFS will continue to closely monitor the recall matters and remain fully committed to ensuring food safety, " the spokesman said.

Nestlé Hong Kong has initiated a recall of the affected batches of the products concerned. For enquiries about the recall, members of the public may contact the company through the following channels:

Consumer services hotline: 2599 8874 / 2797 6031/ 2179 8136 (Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm)

Email: consumerservices@hk.nestle.com

WhatsApp: 5283 4139 (NESTLÉ® NAN®) / 2599 8871 (Wyeth® Nutrition)

Online form: forms.office.com/e/BhqMhWfsUG?origin=lprLink

Consumers may choose to bring along the products (brand new or opened) for refund at place of purchase, or at exclusive service counters of Nestlé Nutrition Services from January 13 (Tuesday) onwards, to settle the recall and refund of the batches of the products concerned. Details of the exclusive service counters are as follows:

Kowloon Services Counter

Address: G/F, Park Hovan Commercial Building, 18 Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (MTR Jordon Station Exit D)

Contact number: 3996 8196

Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm; Sunday, 1pm to 5.30pm (except public holidays)

Hong Kong Services Counter

Address: 1/F, Ka Nin Wah Commercial Building, 423-425 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong (MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit B)

Contact number: 3996 8197

Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm (except Sundays and public holidays)

The CFS, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted earlier that certain batches of Nestlé powdered infant formula were being voluntarily recalled in Europe due to possible contamination with Bacillus cereus. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS has immediately initiated follow up actions, published food incident posts to inform the public and the trade about the issue, and has been actively following up on the incident and enhanced surveillance.

Over the past three days (as of 4pm on January 9), the FEHD received a total of 18 food complaints and enquiries suspected to be related to the infant and young children formula products, including one anonymous complaint without contact information. The CFS and the Environmental Hygiene Branch have promptly followed up on all cases, including contacting the parties concerned to obtain details and collecting samples for testing. In addition, the CFS has referred the cases to the health department for follow-up. At present, no food poisoning cases related to the formula have been recorded.

Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Cereulide is a heat-stable toxin produced in food by some strains of Bacillus cereus. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

The spokesman urged members of the public not to let infants and young children consume the affected batches of the products, and to seek medical treatment for infants or young children who felt unwell after taking the products concerned. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately.

"The CFS continues to closely monitor the developments of the situation, follow up and take appropriate action," the spokesman said.

Source: AI-found images