A Research Report on Strategically Organising Hong Kong’s Health Financing System

Our Hong Kong Foundation has launched a report on how to strategically organise Hong Kong’s health financing system, titled Strategic Purchasing: Enabling Health for All, during a symposium on enabling “Health for All” in a primary care-led health system. Building on the Foundation’s 2018 award-winning health policy report Fit for Purpose: A Health System for the 21st Century, the Report points out that Hong Kong’s health system is still not fit to cater for the emerging healthcare demands shaped by the needs of a rapidly ageing population and growing chronic disease burden. Key findings highlight the importance for available resources within Hong Kong’s current health financing portfolio to be allocated more strategically for health system objective and be directed towards prioritised healthcare services. The health financing instrument “strategic purchasing” was positioned as a key policy lever for health system transformation towards a primary care-led integrated care system to meet changing population needs. The Report demonstrates the application of strategic purchasing to enhance the accessibility and affordability of needed primary care in Hong Kong. Leveraging the momentum of the Government’s achievements in primary healthcare development and in anticipation of the city’s primary healthcare blueprint, the Foundation calls on the Government to consider the implementation of a proposed scheme designed to incentivise early detection and management of common chronic diseases.

Guests of Honour：

Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GMB, GBS The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Dr Chui Tak Yi, JP Under Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Presenters and Panellists：

Professor Yeoh Eng Kiong, GBS, OBE, JP Professor of Public Health Director, Centre for Health System and Policy Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Mr Henry Fan, SBS, JP Chairman, Hospital Authority

Professor Donald K. T. Li, SBS, JP Immediate Past President, World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA)

Mr Tim Pang Community Organizer, Society for Community Organization (SOCO)