People covered by the government-proposed medical insurance scheme will enjoy a matching grant if they save up for their future premiums, the health secretary says.
Dr York Chow Yat-ngok said yesterday the government would go ahead with the health care financing reform as the public consultation had received a good response.
He believes most people will accept a monthly insurance premium ranging fromHK$100 for the young to about HK$500 for the elderly. The HK$50 billion start-up fund will be used as a 'matching fund' to add to patients' personal savings in their insurance accounts.
The bureau will set out details of the scheme and the regulatory mechanism after the three-month public consultation ends on January 7.
'Most people have no strong objections to the reform and many ask us how to move their existing plans to the scheme,' Chow said. 'We have received lots of views, which is not surprising because it is a very complex issue.'
He said the Health Protection Scheme would encourage policyholders to save. The money in their accounts could be used to pay premiums when they turned 65. The government would match the savings.
Ultimately, the scheme aims to cover at least 500,000 people. Regulated by the government, it would help ease pressure on the public system by drawing more people to private services. Insurers would have to guarantee policy renewal and could not exclude those with pre-existing conditions. The standard plan would cover packaged medical services at private hospitals but not outpatient consultations and treatment.