How to ask what a doctor charges before you go
In Hong Kong you may ask what you will be charged before you attend. Section 12.1 of the Medical Council's Code of Professional Conduct provides that consultation fees should be made known to patients on request, and that a doctor who refuses or fails to make the charges known when properly requested may be guilty of professional misconduct. Asking about price is therefore not rude; it is something the Code itself provides for. When you call the clinic, ask first what the consultation fee covers, how medicines and laboratory tests are charged, and what a follow-up visit costs.
What does the Code say?
Section 12.1 of the Medical Council's Code of Professional Conduct (revised October 2022) reads 'Consultation fees should be made known to patients on request', and provides that a doctor who refuses or fails to make the charges known when properly requested may be guilty of professional misconduct. In other words, the patient may ask and the doctor is expected to answer.
The same section also provides that, in the course of investigation and treatment, all charges should, to the doctor's best knowledge, be made known to patients on request before the services are provided. So besides the consultation fee, you can ask about the charges for tests, investigations and treatment before they are provided.
What should you ask when you call the clinic?
The first three to ask: what the consultation fee is for this visit, whether medicine is included, and whether a deposit is needed first. Pick from the rest according to your situation; there is no need to go through every line.
Fee questions can go first to the clinic's staff or a nurse; the scope of any investigation or treatment can be confirmed with the doctor.
| What to ask | Whom to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| What is the consultation fee for this visit? | Clinic staff or a nurse | If the doctor practises at more than one clinic, ask about the clinic and session you will attend |
| Does the fee include medicine, and for how many days? | Clinic staff or a nurse | If the charge includes medicine, ask how many days' supply it covers and which medicines are charged separately |
| How are laboratory tests, an ECG or an injection charged on top? | Clinic staff or a nurse | Section 12.1 of the Code provides that charges for investigation and treatment should be made known on request before the services are provided, so ask whether they are charged separately and how much |
| Is a follow-up visit charged at the same rate as the first? | Clinic staff or a nurse | Ask whether a follow-up visit is charged at a different rate |
| Is there a surcharge outside office hours, on public holidays or for a home visit? | Clinic staff or a nurse | Ask about evening and holiday surcharges in advance; finding out on arrival leaves little room to rearrange |
| Does a specialist visit need a referral letter, and does that change the charge? | Clinic staff or a nurse | If you plan to claim on insurance, also ask your insurer whether a referral letter is needed; see referral letters |
| What payment methods are accepted, and are Elderly Health Care Vouchers taken? | Clinic staff or a nurse | Vouchers can be used only with enrolled professionals; asking on arrival may leave you paying cash |
| If surgery or an investigation is needed, can I have a written quotation first? | Clinic staff, with the doctor confirming the scope of the items | A written quotation itemises the work, which makes it easier to check against your insurer |
Where can you find charges in advance?
The Primary Care Directory: it carries practice information for doctors who have joined, and doctors update their records through their own Directory accounts (Primary Care Directory FAQs for service providers, read on 15 October 2026). If a record shows fee information, use it as a guide; the actual amount is as the clinic confirms.
Doctors directories approved by the Medical Council: the Hong Kong Doctors Union directory, for example, says on its website that it carries service charges and opening hours among other details, and advises users to check the information before relying on it (Hong Kong Doctors Union directory, read on 15 October 2026).
A doctor's or clinic's own website: if the website lists charges, use them as a guide and confirm with the clinic. Commercial platforms vary; see which doctor information is free to view, and for the general level of private specialist charges see private specialist consultation fees.
What should you write down afterwards?
Note three things: the amount quoted, what that amount covers, and who answered you and when. If the bill differs at the clinic, those three let you compare on the spot.
For surgery, investigations or a course of treatment, you can ask the clinic for a written quotation before deciding. For what to bring and how to prepare on the day, see preparing for a specialist appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Is it rude to ring up and ask about the fee?
No. Section 12.1 of the Medical Council's Code of Professional Conduct provides that consultation fees should be made known to patients on request, and that a doctor who refuses or fails to make the charges known when properly requested may be guilty of professional misconduct. Asking about price is something the Code itself provides for.
Does this site list individual doctors' fees?
No. Book a Doctor does not list individual doctors' consultation fees, and it is not on the Medical Council's published list of approved doctors directories (Medical Council website, read on 14 October 2026). To find out the charges, ask the clinic the questions above.
The clinic quoted a price and the bill came to more. What can I do?
Start by going through the receipt item by item with the clinic's staff against the quotation you were given, for example whether medicines, laboratory tests or procedures have been added. If you still have questions, you can put a written enquiry to the clinic.
How do public hospital charges compare with private doctors?
For how public hospital and private doctors' charges compare, see public or private specialist care; for a private doctor's charges, ask the clinic the questions above.