Public healthcare fees and charges reform 2026: specialist outpatient and A&E fees, the HK$10,000 annual cap and fee waivers
From 1 January 2026, Eligible Persons pay HK$250 per attendance at Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinics and HK$400 per attendance at Accident and Emergency (critical and emergency patients are exempted). Hong Kong residents can also apply for an annual charge cap of HK$10,000, counted by calendar year (excluding inpatient charges in special wards and self-financed drugs and devices), with no means test; the income and asset limits for the medical fee waiver have also been relaxed.
What are the main changes in fees?
The table below shows the main charges for Eligible Persons at Hospital Authority public hospitals and clinics. Eligible Persons include holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card (except those who obtained the identity card by virtue of a permission to land or remain that has expired or ceased to be valid), children under 11 who are Hong Kong residents, and other persons approved by the Hospital Authority Chief Executive.
| Service | On or before 31 December 2025 | From 1 January 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist outpatient attendance | HK$135 for the first attendance, HK$80 for follow-ups | HK$250 per attendance |
| Specialist outpatient prescribed drugs | HK$15 per item, up to 16 weeks | HK$20 per drug item, charged in units of 4 weeks |
| Family Medicine Clinic attendance | HK$50 at general outpatient clinics | HK$150 per attendance |
| Family Medicine Clinic prescribed drugs | No separate charge at general outpatient clinics | HK$5 per drug item, charged in units of 4 weeks |
| Accident and Emergency | HK$180 | HK$400 per attendance; Category I (critical) and Category II (emergency) patients are exempted |
| Acute beds | Admission fee HK$75, HK$120 per day | HK$300 per day, admission fee abolished |
| Pathology tests at specialist outpatient clinics and Family Medicine Clinics | No separate charge at specialist outpatient clinics | Basic items free; Intermediate items HK$50 each; Advanced items HK$200 each |
| Non-emergency radiology | No separate charge | Basic items free; Intermediate items HK$250 each; Advanced items HK$500 each |
Can the Accident and Emergency fee be refunded?
Eligible Persons who have paid and leave before seeing a doctor can apply for a refund of HK$350 within 24 hours of registration, through HA Go or at the Accident and Emergency registration counter.
What is the HK$10,000 annual charge cap?
From 1 January 2026 the Hospital Authority sets an annual charge cap of HK$10,000 per patient, counted by calendar year, applicable 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).
The cap has no means test, and any Hong Kong resident who needs it can apply; once approved, the patient does not need to pay again 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 cap, ask the public hospital or clinic you attend.
What has been relaxed in the medical fee waiver?
| Item | From 1 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Income limit | The median monthly domestic household income for households of two or more people, and 150% of the median for one-person households; previously 75% of the median |
| Asset limit | Relaxed to the asset limit for public rental housing applications |
| Validity | Up to 18 months (previously 12 months) |
| Reapplying | Those reapplying within 18 months need only sign a declaration confirming that the household's financial situation is unchanged, without submitting financial documents again |
| Coverage | Time-limited waivers extended to episodic Family Medicine Outpatient Services |
| Definition of ‘household’ | Relaxed; household members living with the applicant who have no close financial relationship with the applicant may not need to be included in the means test |
How do I apply for a medical fee waiver?
You can apply to the Medical Social Services Department of a public hospital or clinic, an Integrated Family Service Centre of the Social Welfare Department, or another designated service unit; you can find out how to apply in the ‘Medical Fee Assistance One-stop’ section of HA Go, and use the means test calculator in HA Go to make a preliminary assessment of eligibility.
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.
Patients without an immediate medical need can start their application about one to two months before their follow-up appointment (Hospital Authority, January 2026).
Apart from the about 600,000 people who received full waivers both before and after the reform (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), the number of other eligible low-income people was estimated to rise from about 300,000 to about 1,400,000, making a total of about 2,000,000 low-income people who could potentially benefit (Government reply to the Legislative Council, April 2026). As at 30 June 2026, 289,799 medical fee waiver applications had been received, of which 264,087 were approved (Hospital Authority, July 2026). The number of people receiving full medical fee waivers has risen from fewer than 14,000 a year in the past to more than 250,000 (Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, September 2026).
How much do Non-eligible Persons (for example visitors without a Hong Kong Identity Card) pay?
Fees for Non-eligible Persons are adjusted to the 2023-24 cost of services and are not subsidised by public funds. From 1 January 2026, Non-eligible Persons pay HK$850 per attendance at specialist outpatient clinics, HK$2,100 per attendance at Accident and Emergency, and HK$7,400 per day in a general ward.
Common misconceptions
‘The HK$10,000 cap applies automatically’: no. Hong Kong residents must apply for the cap; once approved, they do not need to pay again for eligible medical services in that year.
‘A specialist outpatient follow-up is still HK$80’: no. From 1 January 2026, first and follow-up attendances are both HK$250 per attendance.
‘The HK$10,000 cap includes self-financed drugs’: no. Self-financed drugs and devices are not counted.
‘Only Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients can get a waiver’: no. The income limit for households of two or more people has been relaxed to the median monthly domestic household income, and for one-person households to 150% of the median.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a public specialist outpatient clinic charge now?
From 1 January 2026, Eligible Persons pay HK$250 per attendance, and HK$20 per prescribed drug item, charged in units of 4 weeks; some laboratory tests and radiology examinations are charged separately.
How does the HK$10,000 charge cap work?
Hong Kong residents who need it can apply, with no means test; the cap is HK$10,000 per patient per year, counted by calendar year, applicable 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).
Can the HK$400 Accident and Emergency fee be refunded?
Yes: Eligible Persons who have paid and leave before seeing a doctor can apply for a refund of HK$350 within 24 hours of registration.
How much do Non-eligible Persons (for example visitors) pay at a public specialist outpatient clinic?
From 1 January 2026, Non-eligible Persons pay HK$850 per attendance at specialist outpatient clinics, and HK$90 per prescribed drug item, charged in units of 4 weeks.