Medical fees · 2026
Public hospital fee waivers
CSSA recipients, qualifying care voucher holders and Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above can claim a waiver at registration. Other patients facing financial difficulty can apply for a household assessment.
Which route applies to me?
This guide covers Eligible Persons for HA public services, including Hong Kong identity card holders whose permission to remain is still valid where required, Hong Kong resident children under 11, and others approved by HA’s Chief Executive. Choose a situation without entering any identity, income or medical details.
I receive CSSA, hold a Level 0 residential care voucher, or receive OALA and am 75 or older
At each registration, show your ID and tell staff that you receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, hold a Level 0 voucher under the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly, or receive Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) and are at least 75. Staff verify the status electronically. Qualifying OALA recipients under the Guangdong and Fujian schemes are included.
I receive OALA and am aged 65 to 74
Apply for a household assessment. Declare your OALA status and submit the signed declaration and undertaking. Once staff verify the status, the evidence exemptions below may apply.
- One-person household with one recipient: asset evidence is waived.
- Two-person household with one recipient: income evidence is waived.
- Two-person household with two recipients: both income and asset evidence are waived.
I need help paying and want to apply
Identify the family members included in the assessment, then check both income and assets for that household size. If you exceed a financial limit but have exceptional difficulties such as ongoing treatment costs, explain these to a medical social worker or social worker for individual consideration.
Check household definitions and limitsI want to check the fee for this A&E visit
From 1 January 2026, the A&E first attendance fee for Eligible Persons is $400. An Eligible Person whose final triage before consultation is Category I (critical) or II (emergency) is exempt from the attendance fee for that visit. Clinical staff assign the category. Patients in other categories facing financial hardship can still apply for a medical fee waiver.
Read HA’s A&E fee guidanceWhose finances count?
- Dependent patient
- An unmarried patient under 18, or aged 18–25 in full-time education, is assessed with parents or legal guardians and dependent siblings living under the same roof.
- Non-dependent, never married
- Normally a one-person household, including when living with parents or siblings.
- Non-dependent, currently or previously married
- Count the patient, a spouse living with them, and dependent children living with them. HA includes separated, divorced, divorcing and widowed patients in this category. Report who actually lives together.
If the household supports another co-resident family member’s basic needs, such as an elderly parent’s, ask to include them and supply their income, asset and expense information. Social workers can consider exceptional family circumstances.
Income and asset limits (HKD)
Income figures are for Q2 2026, updated by HA in September. Asset limits were updated in April 2026. The usual assessment requires income and assets within the applicable ceilings. Income strictly below the full-waiver threshold, with assets within the limit, can qualify for consideration for a full waiver.
| People | Monthly income limit | Full-waiver threshold | Asset limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $16,500 | $8,250 | $295,000 |
| 2 | $24,000 | $18,000 | $400,000 |
| 3 | $40,400 | $30,300 | $521,000 |
| 4 | $54,400 | $40,800 | $608,000 |
| 5 | $52,300 | $39,225 | $675,000 |
Add $168,000 to the asset limit for each assessed member aged 65 or above. The first home occupied by the household together is excluded. Income thresholds are the same from five members upwards. For asset limits for six or more, use the HA calculator.
Two-person exampleWith one member aged 65 or above, the asset limit is $400,000 + $168,000 = $568,000. Monthly income of exactly $18,000 is within the $24,000 income ceiling but does not fall below the $18,000 full-waiver threshold. Staff decide the actual waiver.
Use HA’s official means test calculator ↗Which documents should I prepare?
Organise evidence for each person included in the assessment. Keep month-by-month records of variable pay and account for earlier earnings even if employment has ended.
Everyone included in the assessment
Gather identity documents for the patient, applicant and assessed family members, evidence of living together such as a public housing tenancy, and major expense records such as rent, mortgage or medical bills. Bring originals and copies if applying in person.
Employees and casual or variable earners
Prepare evidence covering at least the past six months, such as payslips, bank credits, employer letters or MPF records. Include commissions, casual earnings, bonuses and allowances. Self-employed applicants can use profit and loss accounts, tax returns or income declarations.
Unemployed or currently without wages
Bring evidence relevant to your situation, such as a termination letter, job-search records, medical evidence or proof of full-time study. Explain when circumstances changed and document other income, including support from relatives outside the household, maintenance or rent.
Bank accounts, e-wallets and other assets
Usually supply at least six months of local and overseas individual and joint account records, including inactive or closed accounts. For e-wallets, prepare screenshots of the account number, six months of transactions and balance. Include applicable investments, insurance with savings or investment value, and properties. Staff may ask for a longer history or further evidence.
How do I submit an application?
- Through HA GoOpen Medical Fee Assistance under Payment, complete the waiver application, upload the evidence and check progress. Attend the hospital in person to sign the declaration before formal approval.
- In personBring the completed form and evidence to a public hospital or clinic Medical Social Services Unit during office hours, or ask your local SWD Integrated Family Service Centre about arrangements. Check the authorisation requirements if someone is acting for you.
Apply promptly after receiving a bill. Unless there are exceptional circumstances or a justifiable reason, applications more than three months after the bill or payment request was issued are normally not processed. A waiver may cover one occasion or a specified period of up to 18 months. Notify HA immediately of changes affecting eligibility.