Page 77 - 20211214_OHKF_Health_Finance_Research_Report_E (1)

Title Health financing-related discussions
Building a Healthy Observations:
Tomorrow– • Challenges faced by the present system include: over-reliance on the
Discussion Paper heavily subsidised public healthcare system, an ageing population,
on the Future tendency of early occurrence of chronic illnesses in the population
Service Delivery advance in medical technology driving up costs of treatable medical
Model for our conditions, and overstretched hospital services
Health Care
System, 2005 • It was generally recognised that the sustainability of Hong Kong’s
(HWFB, 2005) long-term healthcare is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Recommendations:
• Purchase primary medical care service from the private
sector
• Develop the private primary medical care sector
• Realign the roles of the public and private sectors in
developing our future healthcare model , through reviewing the fees and
[1]
charges policy
• Coordinate between public and private hospitals in the procurement of
drugs and equipment (to help reduce cost for the private sector)
• Improve private sector’s transparency of fees and charges, enhance
clinical governance, and work with the insurance sector to bring
about changes to insurance practices

Your Health, Your Observations:
Life: Healthcare • Majority of the public recognised the need to reform the current
Reform healthcare financing arrangement
Consultation
Document, 2008 • Many respondents supported the direction of promoting PPP in the
(FHB, 2008b) provision of healthcare services
• There was broad consensus in the community that the public healthcare
system should continue to serve as a safety net offering healthcare
protection for the population as a whole, not just the low-income and
underprivileged groups. The direction of strengthening the safety net was
thus broadly supported.
Recommendations:
• Preserve existing public healthcare as a safety net for all
• Take forward financing reform through a step-by-step approach
• Consider standardised and incentivised arrangements to facilitate access
to better protection and choices in healthcare, with necessary flexibility to
cater for the needs of the different age and/or income segments of the
population
• Be in line with the concept of “money-follows-patient”, ensuring
sufficient protection to users for price transparency and cost-effectiveness
My Health My Observations:
Choice: • There was broad support for the direction of the healthcare reform to
Healthcare enhance the long-term sustainability of the overall
Reform Second healthcare system, namely for:
Stage, 2010
(FHB, 2010a) • Maintaining and strengthening the PHC system to provide equitable
access to essential healthcare and to serve as a healthcare safety net,
• Complemented by reforming the private health insurance and
healthcare markets with a view to providing value-for-money
choices of health insurance and healthcare services with quality
assurance and consumer protection.
Recommendations:
• Take forward the proposed Health Protection Scheme (HPS) via
[2]
• Reviewing healthcare manpower strategy;
• Formulating supervisory framework for HPS;
• Facilitating healthcare service development such as developing
essential infrastructure, enhancing the transparency and competition of
private healthcare services in quality, and price; and
• Promoting packaged services and charging in the private sector.

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