Latest news with #OldAgeLivingAllowance
RTHK
6 days ago
- Health
- RTHK
Public 'mostly unaware of new hospital fee exemptions'
Public 'mostly unaware of new hospital fee exemptions' The FTU conducted a survey, garnering over 700 responses, to gauge public understanding of the new upcoming healthcare charges. Photo: RTHK The Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) said on Friday there is an urgent need for increased public awareness of what the processes surrounding the new healthcare charges to be levied next year involve. The reforms will see fee adjustments across a spectrum of public services, including accident and emergency wards, hospital stays and consultations at specialist and family medicine outpatient clinics, phased in over three stages starting on January 1. To gauge public understanding of these changes, the FTU conducted a survey from April 22 to May 13, garnering more than 700 responses. FTU lawmaker Bill Tang said that while most respondents knew about the fee increases, very few were aware of the enhanced fee exemption mechanism, signalling a need for more promotional efforts. "The government should actively [give] them the information," he said. For example, Tang said, they give patients leaflets to clearly tell them which criteria fits the new scheme. Also, he said, "the 'HA Go' [mobile app] is now more and more welcome among patients, so 'HA Go' should be a very good way to promote the new scheme of fee exemptions. "The government should [make] good use of the network of the local medical centres and district counsellors to promote the new fee exemption scheme together." Tang said more than a million people in the SAR should qualify for the enhanced exemptions. He also urged an earlier opening of applications to align with implementation of the reforms and reduce administrative delays. He further suggested expanding automatic medical fee waivers for Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above to those aged 65 or above, saying this would ease the processing burden on healthcare staff while extending support to more seniors.
RTHK
13-05-2025
- Health
- RTHK
New subsidised dental programme to start by this month
New subsidised dental programme to start by this month The Community Dental Support Programme will provide around 40,000 bookings a year. File photo: RTHK A government-subsidised dental programme will kick off on May 26, providing around 40,000 bookings a year – more than double the current government service quota available through general public sessions. The underprivileged who are receiving government aid such as the Old Age Living Allowance, or those who have their public hospital fees exempt, will be eligible for the Community Dental Support Programme. They can have their teeth filled or removed for HK$50 a tooth at 80 clinics, with a full waiver possible for some people. Doctors would treat a maximum three teeth each time, and people can apply for the service once every 180 days. Recipients must hold a Hong Kong ID card and register for the government's eHealth system. A Department of Health consultant surgeon, Sharon Lee, was asked if the charge would deter patients, given that dental services at government clinics are free of charge. "The administration charge of HK$50 is a fee, but compared to the treatment they receive, I think it's not a lot really," she said. "We also have a safety net that [some] can have a total waiver of their fees." From the start of next month, the government will also raise the service quota by around 30 percent at nine of its dental clinics for the general public to up to 26,000. Health officials noted that since an online booking system for public dental services was introduced, the clinics have been fully booked. They hope the new programme – which is available through the help of dozens of non-governmental organisations – will mean that those who miss out on the general public quota would still have their tooth fixed or removed relatively cheaply.
RTHK
13-05-2025
- Health
- RTHK
New subsidised dental programme to start by this month
New subsidised dental programme to start by this month The Community Dental Support Programme will provide around 40,000 bookings a year. File photo: RTHK A government-subsidised dental programme will kick off on May 26, providing around 40,000 bookings a year – more than double the current government service quota available through general public sessions. The underprivileged who are receiving government aid such as the Old Age Living Allowance, or those who have their public hospital fees exempt, will be eligible for the Community Dental Support Programme. They can have their teeth filled or removed for HK$50 a tooth at 80 clinics, with a full waiver possible for some people. Doctors would treat a maximum three teeth each time, and people can apply for the service once every 180 days. Recipients must hold a Hong Kong ID card and register for the government's eHealth system. A Department of Health consultant surgeon, Sharon Lee, was asked if the charge would deter patients, given that dental services at government clinics are free of charge. "The administration charge of HK$50 is a fee, but compared to the treatment they receive, I think it's not a lot really," she said. "We also have a safety net that [some] can have a total waiver of their fees." From the start of next month, the government will also raise the service quota by around 30 percent at nine of its dental clinics for the general public to up to 26,000. Health officials noted that since an online booking system for public dental services was introduced, the clinics have been fully booked. They hope the new programme – which is available through the help of dozens of non-governmental organisations – will mean that those who miss out on the general public quota would still have their tooth fixed or removed relatively cheaply.
