Middle-aged and elderly Hongkongers will start benefiting from chronic disease screening scheme at private clinics in mid-November

Middle-aged and elderly Hongkongers will start to benefit from a pilot subsidy scheme for chronic disease screenings at private clinics in mid-November, with authorities offering incentives to patients and doctors to reach treatment goals.

The government on Monday said more than 200 family doctors had signed up to the scheme to ease the burden on the strained public healthcare system, as Deputy Secretary for Health Eddie Lee Lik-kong emphasised the importance of prevention in the battle against chronic diseases.

“We hope that with this scheme, people who were previously not motivated to do the screening will come forward, and we can achieve the goal of early detection,” he said.

People aged 45 and over with no medical history of diabetes or hypertension can be screened for the diseases at subsidised rates from mid-November, the Health Bureau, said.

The scheme is split into two stages. For the screening stage, participants will only have to cover a co-payment fee of HK$120 (US$15), getting a subsidy of HK$196 and free lab tests.

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But if patients are diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension, they will proceed to the treatment stage. Any lab tests would require a co-payment fee between HK$40 and HK$130.

The Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme, is part of the government’s primary healthcare strategy, which was designed to shift the focus from curative treatment to early prevention and management of chronic diseases.

Authorities said they hoped the change would ease the burden on the public healthcare system by treating mild cases in the community and having family doctors manage chronic illnesses.

Hong Kong scheme to subsidise screening for chronic illnesses at private clinics

A survey by the Department of Health from 2020 to 2022 showed about 17 per cent of the population aged between 45 and 84 have an underlying condition of diabetes or hypertension.

Those diagnosed with pre-diabetes will be given a maximum of four subsidised consultations a year and people with diabetes or hypertension will be entitled to six.

The government will cover the consultation cost of HK$166 a visit for those patients, and family doctors are recommended to charge a co-payment fee of HK$150.

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Patients will receive free medication under the scheme, which covers more than 40 basic drugs that regulate blood glucose and pressure levels.

Participating clinics can also buy the drugs at discounted prices and receive a subsidy of HK$105 for each patient, which the government will pay once a quarter.

Authorities are offering private doctors incentives to improve patient health under the scheme. Family doctors will get 15 per cent of the total amount coming from the subsidy and the co-payment fee if at least 70 per cent of their patients achieve their goals of regulating blood glucose and pressure levels.

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The government will review how many patients have met the target on an annual basis.

Patients will be able to reduce their co-payment fee up to HK$150, equivalent to one consultation session, in their third year of taking part in the programme if they achieve certain targets.

Goals include monitoring and uploading health reports to the eHealth app and attending regular follow-up consultations.

The introduction of the latest scheme came as the city examines how to deal with an ageing population.

The government’s Primary Healthcare Blueprint document, released last December, said the number of people in the city aged 65 and over will increase by 4 per cent a year until 2030.

An estimated 31 per cent of the population, or 2.52 million people, will fall into the age bracket by 2039.

It is predicted the Hospital Authority will have to treat 3 million patients with chronic diseases by the same year.