5 min read
In Hong Kong, Hospital Authority (HA) manages all public sector hospitals and clinics, which include 43 public hospitals and institutions, 49 Specialist Out-patient Clinics (SOPCs), and 73 General Out-patient Clinics (GOPCs). The Hong Kong government is heavily funding the public sector due to the ageing population and increased demands on the healthcare system in Hong Kong, providing comprehensive and “near-free” service to local residents.
Patients at Hospital Authority are divided into 3 types of charges depending on their eligibility:
Eligible persons refer to Hong Kong permanent residents and holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card issued under the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Chapter 177), children who are Hong Kong residents and under 11 years of age and other persons approved by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority.
Non-eligible persons refer to non-permanent residents not holding a Hong Kong Identity Card, Chinese mainland residents, and tourists travelling in Hong Kong.
In June 2017, the fees and charges of public hospital services provided by the Hospital Authority were increased in order to balance promoting appropriate use of services, encouraging diversion of less urgent Accident & Emergency patients, and addressing the financial burden of the public.
Official Services | Fees in HKD |
Accident & Emergency | $180 per attendance |
Inpatient (acute general beds) | $75 admission fee, $120 per day |
Inpatient (convalescent/rehabilitation, infirmary & psychiatric beds) | $100 per day |
Specialist outpatient (including allied health clinic) | $135 for the 1st attendance, $80 per subsequent attendance, $15 per drug item |
General outpatient | $50 per attendance |
Dressing or injection | $19 per attendance |
Psychiatric day hospital | $60 per attendance |
Geriatric day hospital | $60 per attendance |
Rehabilitation day hospital | $55 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment at Clinical Oncology Clinic or Renal Clinic | $96 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment in ambulatory facility | $195 per attendance |
Community nursing service (general) | $80 per visit |
Community nursing service (psychiatric) | Free of charge |
Community allied health service | $80 per visit |
For details click here.
Official Services | Fees in HKD |
Accident & Emergency | $1,230 per attendance |
Inpatient (general hospitals) | $5,100 per day |
Inpatient (psychiatric hospitals) | $2,340 per day |
Intensive care ward/unit | $24,400 per day |
High dependency ward/unit | $13,650 per day |
Nursery | $1,340 per day |
Obstetric package charge For booked cases, includes
| $39,000 |
Obstetric package charge For non-booked cases or patients who have not undergone any antenatal checkup provided by HA during the pregnancy concerned, includes
| $90,000 |
Specialist outpatient (including allied health clinic) | $1,190 per attendance |
General outpatient | $445 per attendance |
Dressing or injection | $100 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment for hemodialysis at a Renal Clinic/Centre or other ambulatory facility | $3,000 per attendance (chronic), $6,000 per attendance (acute) |
Day procedure and treatment at Clinical Oncology Clinic | $895 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment at Ophthalmic Clinic | $725 per attendance |
Day procedure and treatment in ambulatory facility | $5,100 per attendance |
Psychiatric day hospital | $1,260 per attendance |
Geriatric day hospital | $1,960 per attendance |
Rehabilitation day hospital | $1,320 per attendance |
Community nursing service (general) | $535 per visit |
Community nursing service (psychiatric) | $1,550 per visit |
Community allied health service | $1,730 per visit |
For details, click here.
Patients can receive private services within the public sector which may include charges for general nursing, core pathology investigations, catering, and domestic services. Private charges for newborns also cover basic examination by obstetricians, and basic immunization and injections.
Patients referred from private medical practitioners or discharged from private wards and attending designated private specialist outpatient sessions will be charged a private outpatient consultation fee as follows:
(i) For initial consultation $790 – $2,210
(ii) For each subsequent follow up consultation $640 – $1,990
The private services provided by the Hospital Authority include:
For further information on each service, click here.
Office Services | Fees in HKD |
Inpatient (acute hospitals) | $6,650 per day (1st class), $4,430 per day (2nd class) |
Inpatient (other hospitals) | $6,120 per day (1st class), $4,080 per day (2nd class) |
Intensive care ward/unit | $15,350 per day |
High dependency ward/unit | $9,500 per day |
Nursery | $1,190 per day |
Inpatient medical attendance/consultation (per specialty) | $680-$2,210 per visit |
Outpatient consultation | $790-$2,210 per attendance (initial consultation), $640-$1,990 per attendance (subsequent follow up consultation) |
Minor nursing procedures (such as dressing or injection) | $360 per attendance |
Find the list of private services here.
Patients suffering from or suspected to be suffering from the diseases specified under the prevailing International Health Regulations (IHR), and admitted to a public hospital will not be charged for medical treatment or maintenance. Find the specified list of diseases under IHR of the World Health Organisation here.
→ For persons accompanying a patient and occupying a bed, the following daily maintenance fee will apply:
(i) Acute general beds: $120
(ii) Convalescent/Rehabilitation, Infirmary and Psychiatric beds: $100
→ Dental treatment will be provided by hospitals and clinics to those patients in need of emergency dental treatment or dental treatment as an essential part of their medical treatment. In addition to maintenance and/or attendance fees, patients will have to pay for prosthetic appliances at a charge to be determined by the dental officers of the hospital/clinic.
Most services at public hospitals in Hong Kong charges a minimal cost if you are a holder of HKID. For non-HKID holders or certain privately charged services, however, the medical cost can be more expensive.
For holders of HKID, a general outpatient visit at a public hospital would cost HK$50 per attendance; a specialist outpatient visit would cost HK$135 for the first attendance, $80 per subsequent attendance and $15 per drug item. For non-eligible persons, it costs HK$445 per attendance for general outpatient and $1,190 for specialist outpatient.
In total, there are 43 public hospitals and institution along with 49 specialist outpatient clinics and 73 general outpatient clinics in Hong Kong under the management of Hospital Authority.
This article was independently written by Healthy Matters. It is informative only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be relied upon for specific medical advice.
Healthy Matters is Hong Kong’s leading health resource. Our mission is to help you make better health decisions and take control of your health.
Our team of experts is committed to producing reliable health content that is accurate, engaging and relevant, to cover your health & wellness journey from prevention to treatment.
Whether you are looking for trusted information on health conditions, wellbeing or looking for the right doctor or service in Hong Kong, we’re here to help!
Your health matters. Begin your health journey with Healthy Matters today!