Hong Kong health authorities will relax the eligibility criteria of a fee waiver mechanism at public hospitals, benefitting an extra 1.1 million patients starting in 2026.

Under the reform of the public healthcare service subsidy model, non-urgent patients will pay HK$400 (US$52), double the current price of HK$180, at emergency departments, with the collected fees set to be used to subsidise services for patients with severe illnesses.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said the subsidy rate would decrease from 97 per cent to 90 per cent within five years under the model reform.

“The government’s commitment to supporting the healthcare needs of the public remains unchanged, all the extra income brought by the reform will be invested in public healthcare services,” he said, adding the changes were made to address the structural imbalance of the system.

“We will enhance support for patients with severe and urgent conditions, and reduce wastage of medical resources.

“The ultimate goal is to enhance the sustainability of the public healthcare system.”