Health chief: fee waiver beneficiaries rise 20-fold

Public health care fee reforms have been in place for about 8 months.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says the number of people exempt from outpatient fees has risen twenty-fold to more than 280,000.

The reforms have raised drug and emergency ward fees while expanding fee waivers.

At the same time, health authorities have sped up new drug approvals.

So far this year, the approvals of 17 drugs into the Hospital Authority Drug Formulary have been fast-tracked.

Separately, a medical case that has dragged on for 16 years has prompted reforms to the Medical Council.

Lo says a new four-tier disciplinary system will allow for more proportionate penalties.

Secretary for Health LO CHUNG-MAU: “Regarding the reform of Medical Council, the new penalty system will ensure that both the public and the professionals, the doctors will be given a more fair and visible judgment and penalty according to a four-tier system. For example, if a doctor is deficient in certain skills, the new penalty system will be able to impose restrictions on his practice without completely suspending his practicing license.”