Subsidies, funds and payment guides

Public charges from 2026, medical fee waivers, the Samaritan Fund, the Community Care Fund and other support, and how to use the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme and medical insurance.

• Insurance, cashless care and medical cards: what should I ask, and whom?Using a medical card in Hong Kong? What to ask the clinic, insurer and card company about booking, your plan's network, cashless payment and using your card.Updated 2026-10-15
• What the VHIS Standard Plan does not cover: pregnancy, Chinese medicine, chiropractic, outpatient and second opinionsThe VHIS Standard Plan covers eligible expenses related to hospitalisation and day surgery; pregnancy and childbirth, traditional Chinese medicine, dental and vision correction are general exclusions, and purely outpatient care is outside its scope. This page explains the official Standard Plan rules only; an individual policy follows its own terms.Updated 2026-10-09
• Can physiotherapy and chiropractic be paid with the Elderly Health Care Voucher? Notes and the referral arrangementCan you use the Elderly Health Care Voucher for a physiotherapist or a chiropractor? Chiropractors are eligible with no note, while physiotherapists carry conditions. This page follows the Government's voucher page on each allied health eligibility, the notes and the referral-arrangement gap.Updated 2026-10-06
• Benefits for having a baby in Hong Kong 2026: Newborn Baby Bonus, child allowance, maternity leave and paternity leaveWhat government benefits are there for having a baby in Hong Kong? Based on information published by the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, the Inland Revenue Department and the Labour Department, this page sets out the Newborn Baby Bonus eligibility and application, child allowance, and maternity and paternity leave under the Employment Ordinance.Updated 2026-10-02
• Government health checks and screening 2026: Elderly Health Centre annual fee, colorectal, cervical and breast cancer screening eligibilityWhat health check and screening services does the government provide? Eligibility and annual fees at the Department of Health's Elderly Health Centres, eligibility for the government-subsidised colorectal, cervical and breast cancer screening programmes, and how the fees compare with self-paid private health check plans.Updated 2026-10-02
• Medical insurance pre-approval and direct billing: how to apply, what to bring on admission, and what you still pay before dischargeWhat is insurance pre-approval, how do you apply, and do you really pay nothing on discharge? Based on information from the Insurance Authority, Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme documents and procedures published by private hospitals, this page explains pre-approval, the ‘letter of guarantee’ and direct billing.Updated 2026-10-02
• VHIS basic rules: minimum requirements, waiting period, stopping premiums, renewal and migrationWhat are the minimum requirements of the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS), what happens if you stop paying, and when does cover start? The basic rules for certified plans and whom the scheme is for, compiled from the Health Bureau's VHIS FAQs and policy template.Updated 2026-10-02
• VHIS tax deduction: HK$8,000 cap per insured person a year, whom you can claim for, and how it is calculatedHow much tax can you deduct for VHIS premiums, and can you claim for family members? Based on rules published by the Inland Revenue Department and the Health Bureau, this page sets out the deduction cap, specified relatives, how multiple policies and multiple taxpayers are counted, and how much tax you can save.Updated 2026-10-02
• Applying for a medical fee waiver 2026: eligibility, income and asset limits, documents needed and where to applyHow do I apply for a public hospital medical fee waiver? A summary of the income and asset limits from 1 January 2026, how household members are counted, the documents needed, where to apply and online applications through HA Go, plus the annual charge cap.Updated 2026-10-01
• Community Care Fund Medical Assistance Programmes 2026: what the three programmes subsidise, eligibility and how to applyWhat medical assistance does the Community Care Fund offer, and who can apply? The scope of subsidy, eligibility, means test and how to apply for the three medical assistance programmes, compiled from the Social Welfare Department's web pages and papers the Government submitted to the Legislative Council in 2026.Updated 2026-10-01
• Elderly Health Care Vouchers 2026: HK$2,000 a year for older people – what they can be used for and how to check the balanceHow do Elderly Health Care Vouchers work? Based on the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme website: eligibility, the annual amount and accumulation limit, services they can and cannot be used for, how to check the balance, sharing with a spouse and the reward scheme.Updated 2026-10-01
• Financial support for cancer patients in Hong Kong 2026: public hospital drug charges, the Samaritan Fund, the Community Care Fund, fee waivers and Disability AllowanceWhat financial support can cancer patients in Hong Kong apply for? Charging categories of Hospital Authority cancer drugs, the roles of the Samaritan Fund and the Community Care Fund, fee waivers, and the eligibility basis for CSSA and Disability Allowance, compiled from Government and Social Welfare Department information.Updated 2026-10-01
• Public healthcare fees and charges reform 2026: specialist outpatient and A&E fees, the HK$10,000 annual cap and fee waiversA summary of the new Hospital Authority fees for Eligible Persons from 1 January 2026, the annual charge cap of HK$10,000, the relaxed medical fee waiver, and the fees for Non-eligible Persons.Updated 2026-10-01
• Public hospital fees for Non-eligible Persons 2026: A&E HK$2,100, specialist outpatient HK$850, and who counts as an Eligible PersonWithout a Hong Kong Identity Card, how much do you pay at a public hospital? A summary of Hospital Authority fees for Non-eligible Persons from 1 January 2026 for Accident and Emergency, outpatient, inpatient, delivery and test services, and the definition of Eligible Persons.Updated 2026-10-01
• Samaritan Fund 2026: what it subsidises, how the means test works and how to applyWhat does the Samaritan Fund subsidise, and how much do patients contribute? A summary of the scope of subsidy published by the Social Welfare Department and by the Government to the Legislative Council, the means test as relaxed in 2026, examples of approved cases, and the procedure for applying through medical social workers.Updated 2026-10-01
• Using medical insurance for a private specialist: medical networks, pre-approval (cashless) and making your own claimExplains what to confirm with the insurer before seeing a private specialist, whether the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme Standard Plan covers outpatient visits, how pre-approval works, and what documents to submit for outpatient and inpatient claims.Updated 2026-10-01