Private healthcare providers in Hong Kong have expressed support for new government proposals aimed at increasing price transparency across private hospitals, day procedure centers, and clinics. The measures, outlined by the Health Bureau and expected to be introduced to the Legislative Council by the end of the year, could begin implementation as early as August 2024, starting with private hospitals.
The regulatory framework would require all 14 private hospitals, as well as other private healthcare facilities, to publish clear fee schedules in both Chinese and English. These schedules must specify all chargeable items and services, providing either fixed prices or price ranges, and indicate whether additional fees apply for wards, operating theatres, procedure rooms, or doctors’ services. Facilities would also be required to display these fee schedules prominently at reception and cashier counters, with private hospitals additionally mandated to make them available at admission offices, nursing stations, and on their websites.
Under the proposals, private hospitals must provide patients with detailed budget estimates before admission, except when confirmation of booking occurs less than 12 hours prior. Estimates are to include both hospital and doctor fees. The regulations also stipulate that if the final bill exceeds the estimate by 20% or more, hospitals must supply patients with a written explanation for the difference. Health officials explained that the 20% threshold is intended to prompt explanations for significant cost increases without burdening hospitals with justifications for routine billing fluctuations.
In addition, all private hospitals will be required to publish annual statistics related to fees and charges on their websites and submit these data to the government. The statistics must focus on patients accommodated in standard beds who undergo a single treatment or procedure, with reporting due by March 31 each year for the preceding calendar year. The bureau emphasized that this requirement is designed to enhance the consistency and comparability of data across different hospitals by standardizing treatment scopes and ward classifications.
Leading figures in the private healthcare sector welcomed the proposed measures. Dr. Anthony Lee Kai-yiu, chief hospital manager and medical director of Union Hospital, noted that his institution already makes fee details publicly accessible online and that the disclosure of billing statistics is facilitated by their existing computer systems. He acknowledged that compliance, including auditing of statistics, might increase operational costs, potentially up to HK$100,000 annually, but regarded the requirements as manageable given the availability of data.
Similarly, Dr. Chung Kin-lai, CEO of CUHK Medical Centre, a nonprofit private teaching hospital, described the proposals as “relatively reasonable” and well-balanced between public interest and implementation challenges. Dr. Luk Che-chung, chief of medical services at Virtus Medical Group, expressed confidence in the feasibility of the measures.
The phased rollout schedule foresees private hospitals meeting the requirements first, with day procedure centers following in November 2027 and clinics by mid-2028. The government intends to implement the measures in an orderly fashion, aiming to enhance transparency and give patients clearer information on private healthcare costs.