Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ11: Medical discount cards

Following is a question by the Hon Howard Young and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (May 10):

Question:

In recent years, many health maintenance companies are selling medical discount cards over the telephone, claiming that medical practitioners in various districts of the territory have participated in the relevant schemes, and that by paying just a few hundred dollars, the subscribers will enjoy free body check and medical consultations at designated clinics at low charges. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether it knows the number of health maintenance companies now offering medical discount cards, and the total number of such subscribers;

(b) of the means by which the public can verify the claims made by these companies or lodge complaints;

(c) of the measures to monitor the sale of medical discount cards and the operation of the relevant schemes; and

(d) whether it will step up consumer education in this regard?

Reply:

Madam President,

Medical discount cards are one of the many prepaid products available in the market. They are provided as a healthcare intermediary service and are not necessarily issued by health maintenance organisations. Currently, apart from legislation that protects the general rights of consumers, there is no specific legislation that regulates such prepaid medical discount cards and the sale practice of this kind of products. The detailed reply is as follows:

(a) The Department of Health (DH) has not conducted any market research on the sale of medical discount cards and is unable to provide the relevant figures.

(b) As stated above, like buyers of other prepaid consumer products, subscribers of medical discount cards are under the protection of legislation that protects the general consumer rights. If subscribers are dissatisfied with medical discount cards in any consumer-rights aspects (such as sale practice), they may lodge a complaint with the Consumer Council. For cases involving financial disputes, consumers may take legal action to settle the disputes, depending on the circumstances of individual cases. Where members of the public consider that a healthcare professional has breached the professional conduct while providing healthcare services under medical discount cards, they may lodge a complaint with the Medical Council or other relevant healthcare professional regulatory bodies. In addition, for cases where private hospitals are involved, subscribers may lodge a complaint with the relevant registration authority, i.e. DH.

(c) Medical discount cards are a type of prepaid consumer product. Currently, there is no specific legislation that regulates the sale practice of medical discount cards or other discount cards and the operation of the schemes. Nevertheless, the service standards of various healthcare professions are subject to regulation: mechanisms are in place to effectively ensure the service standards of various healthcare professions and hence safeguard the health and rights of patients.

As for medical practitioners, the provision of medical services is primarily a professional relationship between medical practitioners and their patients. The licensing requirements and conduct of medical practitioners are subject to regulation by the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK). In view of developments in the private medical service market in recent years, MCHK has stipulated in its Professional Code and Conduct that medical practitioners participating in the "contract medicine" or "managed care" schemes should ensure that their professional standard of practice would not be affected. Medical practitioners are under professional obligation to exercise careful scrutiny and judgment of the relevant medical contracts and schemes to ensure that they are ethical and in the best interests of patients. They should not enter into any commercial prepaid capitation schemes that are incompatible with a high standard of medical practice. Such schemes are no excuse for substandard service.

(d) In our understanding, the Consumer Council has made continuous efforts in educating the public about consumption of prepaid services (including that of medical services). For example, the Consumer Council has published articles in its Choice magazine, informing consumers the merits and disadvantages of subscribing to prepaid services, and reminding consumers to consider carefully various factors before subscribing to any prepaid services (such as their practical need) and to pay attention to the restrictions and conditions of the services, etc. We support the Consumer Council to continue their efforts in this respect.



Ends/Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:36

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