A survey conducted by Hong Kong's largest labor union found that the public lacks awareness about the extended coverage under the new fee schedule for public healthcare services, effective from 2026; the union urged the government to improve its messaging about the coverage and provide onsite support to ensure better understanding.

The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions also called for a streamlining of the application process to waive medical expenses, and for expanding evening clinic services to enhance public healthcare services for the community.

The analysis of the survey — which gathered 724 responses from online and offline sources between April and May — was released on Friday by FTU President Stanley Ng Chau-pei at a press conference.

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Ng said that while many respondents were informed about the upcoming fee increases for services such as emergency room visits, outpatient care, and medications, most had a limited awareness of the expanded coverage aspects of the reform plan.

The survey found that 58 percent of respondents were unaware that the policy will relax the criteria to be met to qualify for the Samaritan Fund, which provides financial assistance to eligible patients in need of designated medical items or new technologies.

Almost 30 percent of respondents had no knowledge of the relaxed income and asset limit to be eligible to waive medical fees, and a similar proportion of people were unaware of the HK$10,000 ($1,274) annual fee cap to be introduced for inpatient and outpatient services at public hospitals.

Ng called on the government to further publicize the new fee schedule to address public concerns — particularly regarding the expanded coverage and patient support measures — by providing promotional videos, community briefings, and through other means. Ng also recommended that information booths be established at public hospitals, clinics, and Patient Resource Centers to promote the schedule and provide onsite assistance.

The survey also revealed that 48 percent of respondents believe that the proposed income and asset limits for medical fee waiving are slightly or excessively strict.

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Lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu, a member of FTU who was also at the press conference, said that the government should further examine the waiving mechanism. He called for the government to gradually ease the mechanism and adopt more flexible criteria for income and asset assessments, noting that some seniors may have assets but lack additional income.

During the news conference, district councilors from Sai Kung, Southern District, and Yau Tsim Mong cited the survey data to highlight the challenges faced by residents in accessing primary healthcare services, including uneven distribution of services within their districts, insufficient support for chronic illnesses, and a lack of evening clinic services.

Lawmaker public hospitals who is also an FTU member, urged the government to meet residents’ nighttime medical needs while maintaining service quality.

Approaches to address this may include encouraging private clinics to offer more nighttime services through incentives like tax breaks and rent subsidies, and embracing more technological solutions such as telemedicine consultations, said Kwok.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com