Hong Kong elderly shy away from using government vouchers for body checks

Health care vouchers might not be effective as a means to promote preventive care among the elderly, according to a recent study that showed only 1 per cent used the vouchers for general body checks.

Quality HealthCare, one of the major private medical care providers in the city, found only 1.1 per cent of about 18,000 elderly residents surveyed used the vouchers to obtain body checks from the group between January last year and June this year.

More than 90 per cent spent the vouchers on treatment for more immediate diseases such as flu, bronchitis and skin inflammation.

In a separate survey commissioned by the group on elderly residents' knowledge of health care vouchers, the 287 people interviewed showed a weaker understanding of the importance of using them for preventive medical care. The average score given on this was 2.34 out of 5, compared with 3.64 scored for knowledge of other services provided by standard Western and Chinese medical practitioners.

The health care voucher scheme was first launched in 2009 as a financial subsidy for residents aged 70 or above to help them seek medical care from private doctors. Each elderly resident receives HK$2,000 a year and can accumulate unspent vouchers up to a maximum of HK$4,000.

Factors stopping elderly residents spending vouchers on preventive body checks could be varied, said Dr Alexander Chiu, the group's executive medical director.