A new minimum package charge of $20,000 for non-Hong Kong residents receiving obstetrics services has been proposed to reduce the number of non-eligible mothers giving birth in public hospitals and discourage premature discharge against medical advice.

The fee will cover delivery and maintenance bills in a public ward for the first three days of hospitalisation. The same minimum charge will apply irrespective of the mode of delivery, which is a clinical decision to be made by doctors.

If a non-eligible mother stays more than three days in hospital, the extra days will be charged at the current daily flat rate - $3,300 per day. Other public ward charges currently applicable to non-eligible mothers will remain.

In a Legislative Council paper, the Hospital Authority has made reference to the level of relevant fees in the private sector when determining the quantum of the minimum package charge. It has also taken into account that the private sector offers some extra benefits to their obstetrics patients, like choice of doctor and mode of delivery, which are not available at public hospitals.

Private service review

Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority has reviewed the private service consultation fees in the light of operational experience of the past two years. It found the existing way of charging patients at fixed rates is highly inflexible and cannot accurately reflect variations in the complexity of their clinical conditions and in the special expertise that might be required in providing treatment in different hospitals.

To give hospitals and clinics greater flexibility in setting appropriate consultation fees, the Government proposes to replace the standard rates by pre-set ranges. Under the proposal, inpatient consultation per visit per specialty will change from $1,500 per day to between $550 to 2,250; first consultation per visit from $1,500 to $550-$1,750; and subsequent follow up from $1,000 to $450-$1,150.

Relevant hospitals and clinics may charge for their private service consultations at appropriate levels within the pre-set ranges, taking into account the complexity of the patient's case and the expertise required to provide the service.