Public hospitals in Hong Kong may begin charging patients for CT and MRI scans in the coming weeks under new policy that is in contrast to the region's long-standing public health services model, the Standard reported on 14 March.
The change is expected to come out of a Special Administrative Region (SAR) plan, according to the Standard. That plan soon to be unveiled is expected to set the prices of scans at affordable levels, where charges would not apply to patients in urgent or severe medical conditions.
Nonemergency patients seeking treatment at public hospitals may need to pay additional itemized fees for specific services such as laboratory tests and scans, explained the Standard, adding that its sources suggested authorities would also widen the healthcare safety net to support the neediest patients paying huge bills to treat cancer and rare diseases.
Hong Kong was a British colony until the handover to China in June 1997. Its public health service was largely modeled on the U.K.'s National Health Service.
Funding for Hong Kong SAR’s Hospital Authority accounts for the bulk of healthcare spending, a January 2025 International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Country report details. The paper noted a 60% increase in per capita spending since 2015. Recurring government spending on social welfare and healthcare budgeted for 2024/2025 stood at 7.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), which is 2.8 percentage points of GDP higher than in 2015/2016.
"Aging-related fiscal pressures will require revenue-boosting tax reforms and other fiscal measures," stated the IMF report.
