XN000022-1996-03-13 — Page 55

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Review of health care financing

Following is a question by the Hon Chan Kam-lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Reply:

Will the Government inform this Council of the following:

(a)

(b)

(c)

what is the progress of the overall review of health care financing, when the review will be completed and when the findings of the review will be promulgated;

what is the proportion of the revenue received by the hospitals of the Hospital Authority on the ten categories of "privately purchased medical items" to the overall expenditure on medical services; and

whether consideration will be given to providing more resources with a view to discontinuing the charging policy mentioned in (b) above?

Government recognises the need to devise a set of strategies on the long-term development of our public health care system,.taking account of community sentiments along the way. The "Towards Better Health" Consultation Document published in 1993 represents a major step towards addressing the issues involved.

indicated While public views expressed during the consultation exercise general support for the introduction of semi-private rooms and the implementation of a new initiatives must be co-ordinated voluntary insurance scheme, these complemented by other funding options to achieve a balance between affordability, equity and quality in line with our established policy that no one should be prevented We currently from obtaining adequate medical treatment through lack of means. estimate our deliberations on this subject may take a period of some 18 months.

As I explained to this Council on various occasions, the historical practice of requiring patients to purchase certain medical items for their own use during the course of treatment is a means to provide them with access to new, expensive or non- standard appliances not covered under the inventory of public hospitals. Since it does not involve any revenue either on the part of Government or the Hospital Authority, it is misleading to compare the cost of privately purchased medical items with overall health care expenditure.