Applying for a medical fee waiver 2026: eligibility, income and asset limits, documents needed and where to apply
From 1 January 2026, the income limit for a Hospital Authority medical fee waiver is 100% (households of two or more people) or 150% (one-person households) of the median monthly domestic household income, and the asset limit is the asset limit for public rental housing applications. You can apply to a Medical Social Services Department or an Integrated Family Service Centre of the Social Welfare Department, among others, and some patients can apply online through HA Go.
What are the income and asset limits for a medical fee waiver?
From 1 January 2026, the income limit for a medical fee waiver was relaxed from 75% of the median monthly domestic household income to 100% of the median (households of two or more people) or 150% of the median (one-person households); the median used is the median monthly domestic household income excluding foreign domestic helpers.
The asset limit was relaxed to the asset limit for public rental housing applications, and each household member aged 65 or above raises the asset limit by HK$168,000 (Government paper to the Legislative Council, April 2025).
| Item | From 1 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Income limit (households of two or more people) | 100% of the median monthly domestic household income (previously 75%) |
| Income limit (one-person households) | 150% of the median monthly domestic household income (previously 75%) |
| Asset limit | The asset limit for public rental housing applications; raised by HK$168,000 for each household member aged 65 or above |
| Maximum validity | 18 months (previously 12 months) |
| Reapplying within 18 months | Only a declaration confirming that the household's financial situation is unchanged needs to be signed, without resubmitting financial documents |
| Coverage | Time-limited waivers extended to episodic Family Medicine Outpatient Services |
How are household members counted in an application?
The household members counted in the means test depend on whether the patient is a dependant and whether the patient is married; for example, an unmarried patient who is not a dependant is treated as a one-person household. See the table below.
| Patient's situation | Household members counted |
|---|---|
| Patient who is a dependant | The patient, parents / legal guardians living with the patient, and brothers and sisters who are dependants |
| Not a dependant, married | The patient, the spouse living with the patient, and children who are dependants |
| Not a dependant, unmarried | The patient is treated as a one-person household |
What documents do I need to prepare, and how long does it take?
In general the documents the patient and the household members included in the means test need to submit include proof of identity, proof of living together, proof of income and proof of assets; the number of documents needed depends on the number of household members and their financial and asset situation (Government reply to the Legislative Council, January 2026).
Patients without an immediate medical need can start their application about one to two months before their follow-up appointment; in general, once a patient has submitted all the documents, the procedure can be completed and a waiver certificate issued within about one hour (Hospital Authority, January 2026).
Where do I apply? Can I apply through HA Go?
You can apply for a medical fee waiver to the Medical Social Services Department of any public hospital or clinic, an Integrated Family Service Centre or a Family and Child Protective Services Unit of the Social Welfare Department, or another designated service unit.
From 9 July 2026, full members of HA Go who have no application in progress, and who have a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient or Family Medicine Clinic appointment within the next 60 days or have been issued an unpaid bill or payment notice within the past 90 days, can apply for a medical fee waiver themselves through HA Go.
For medical fee waiver applications made through HA Go, the hospital will still ask the applicant to come to the hospital in person to sign a declaration before the waiver is formally approved.
Who receives full waivers of medical fees?
About 600,000 people, namely Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients, Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above and holders of Level 0 vouchers under the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly, received full waivers of medical fees both before and after the reform (Government reply to the Legislative Council, April 2026).
What is the difference between the HK$10,000 annual charge cap and the medical fee waiver?
The medical fee waiver has income and asset limits, while the annual charge cap has no means test.
The annual charge cap is HK$10,000 per patient per year, counted by calendar year, which all Hong Kong residents can apply for and which applies to all public charges for Eligible Persons (excluding inpatient charges in special wards and self-financed drugs and devices) (Government paper to the Legislative Council, April 2025).
Once the annual charge cap is approved, the person does not need to pay any further fees for eligible medical services in that year (Government reply to the Legislative Council, April 2026).
More than 17,000 patients have reached the annual charge cap and have been granted a full waiver of their fees for the remainder (Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, September 2026).
For how to apply for the annual charge cap, ask the public hospital or clinic you attend; for the overall 2026 fees reform, see Public healthcare fees and charges reform 2026, and for Accident and Emergency fees, see Accident and Emergency fees, triage and refunds.
Frequently asked questions
What is the income limit for a medical fee waiver?
From 1 January 2026, it is 100% of the median monthly domestic household income for households of two or more people, and 150% of the median for one-person households; the median used is the median monthly domestic household income excluding foreign domestic helpers.
What is the asset limit for a medical fee waiver?
From 1 January 2026, the asset limit for a medical fee waiver was relaxed to the asset limit for public rental housing applications, and each household member aged 65 or above raises the limit by HK$168,000.
Can I apply for a medical fee waiver through HA Go?
Yes, from 9 July 2026, but only HA Go full members can do so, and they must have no application in progress and have a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient or Family Medicine Clinic appointment within the next 60 days, or have been issued an unpaid bill or payment notice within the past 90 days; the hospital will still ask the applicant to sign a declaration in person before the waiver is formally approved.
How long is a medical fee waiver valid?
From 1 January 2026, a medical fee waiver is valid for up to 18 months (previously 12 months); those reapplying within 18 months need only sign a declaration confirming that the household's financial situation is unchanged.