Financial Assistance

1. Fees and charges of public hospital services provided by Hospital Authority:

   Medical services provided by HA hospitals/clinics are charged as per the Gazette. There are 3 categories of charges:

   • Public charges – eligible persons.
   • Public charges – non-eligible persons.
   • Private charges.

   Please visit the Hospital Authority's websiteThis link will open in a new window for details.

2. Waiving mechanism of public hospitals:

   It has always been the Government’s fundamental philosophy that no one will be denied adequate medical care due to lack of means.

   To ensure that this principle, recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) will be waived from payment of public health care expenses upon presentation of identity proof and claim their waiver eligibility status each time they register for consultation and their waiver status could be confirmed through online eligibility checking.

   Non-CSSA recipients who cannot afford medical expenses at the public sector can apply for medical fee waiver from Medical Social Workers (MSWs) of HA or the Social Welfare Department (SWD), as well as Social Workers (SWs) of the Integrated Family Service Centres (IFSCs) or the Family and Child Protective Services Units (FCPSUs) of SWD. MSWs of HA or SWD, or SWs of IFSCs/FCPSUs of SWD will assess the application with due consideration given to the financial, social and medical condition of applicants on a household basis.

   Starting from 15 Jul 2017, the medical fee waiver for public healthcare services has been extended to cover Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) recipients meeting the eligibility criteria and from 1 Jun 2018, the medical fee waiving arrangement is also applicable to Higher OALA recipients aged 75 or above. Eligible OALA recipients will be waived for the standard fees and charges for public healthcare services upon presentation of the identity proof and claim their waiver eligibility status each time they register for consultation and their waiver status could be confirmed through online eligibility checking.

   Please visit the Hospital Authority's websiteThis link will open in a new window for details.

3. Samaritan fund

   The Samaritan Fund (the Fund) was established in 1950 by resolution of the Legislative Council. The objective of the Fund is to provide financial assistance to needy patients who meet the specified clinical criteria and passed the means test to meet expenses for designated Privately Purchased Medical Items (PPMI) or new technologies required in the course of medical treatment which are not covered by the standard fees and charges in public hospitals and clinics. Having regard to the philosophy that no one should be prevented, through lack of means, from obtaining adequate medical treatment, the Fund intends to provide financial assistance to needy patients as far as possible.

   Please visit the Hospital Authority's websiteThis link will open in a new window for details.

4. Community care fund medical assistance programmes

   The objective of the Community Care Fund (CCF) is to provide assistance to people facing economic difficulties, in particular those who fall outside the social safety net or those within the net but have special circumstances that are not covered. In addition, the CCF may consider implementing measures on a pilot basis to help the Government identify those that can be considered for incorporation into its regular assistance and service programmes.

   To allow the CCF to exercise its function to fill the gaps in the existing system and create a pioneering effect, two new CCF medical assistance programmes are endorsed by the CCF in 2017/18 with effect from 1 August 2017 to provide subsidy for needy and eligible patients to purchase ultra-expensive drugs (including those for treating uncommon disorders) and specified implantable medical devices for interventional procedures. The two new programmes are named “Subsidy for Eligible Patients to Purchase Ultra-expensive Drugs (Including Those for Treating Uncommon Disorders)” and “Subsidy for Eligible Patients of Hospital Authority to Purchase Specified Implantable Medical Devices for Interventional Procedures”.

   Please visit the Hospital Authority's websiteThis link will open in a new window for details.

If cancer patients or caregivers face financial hardship, they may seek help from medical social workers and apply for financial assistance from the Government or some non-governmental organisations. In most cases, the applicant must be a Hong Kong resident whose assets do not exceed the preset limit.

Some of the schemes are listed below:

1. Comprehensive social security assistance (CSSA) scheme

   The CSSA Scheme provides a safety net for those who cannot support themselves financially. It is designed to bring their income up to a prescribed level to meet their basic needs.

   To be eligible for assistance, the applicant must satisfy residence requirement, financial tests and additional criteria for able-bodied adults. Payments can be broadly classified into three types, namely standard rates, supplements and special grants.

   A person can make an application directly to a social security field unit near to his/her place of residence by phone, by fax, by e-mail, by post or in person. An application may also be made through a referral to the Social Welfare Department by another government department or a non-governmental organization.

   Please refer to the Social Welfare Department's websiteThis link will open in a new window for details.

2. Social security allowance (SSA) scheme

   The objective of the SSA Scheme is to provide a monthly allowance to Hong Kong residents who are severely disabled or who are 65 years of age or above to meet special needs arising from disability or old age.

   The Scheme includes Normal Disability Allowance, Higher Disability Allowance, Old Age Allowance, Normal Old Age Living Allowance, Higher Old Age Living Allowance, Guangdong Scheme and Fujian Scheme. Applicants of Disability Allowance and Old Age Allowance under the Scheme are not required to go through a means test.

   Please refer to the Social Welfare Department's websiteThis link will open in a new window for details.

3. Charitable / trust funds

   Temporary cash grants from major charitable / trust funds can be mobilised to help individuals and families to tide over their financial hardship under special and emergency situations when other financial assistance is not available. Each charitable / trust fund has its own criteria and categories of assistance.

   Please contact Integrated Services Centres / Integrated Family Service Centres operated by the Social Welfare Department or refer to the Social Welfare Department's websiteThis link will open in a new window for details.