Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (the Scheme) has been converted into a recurrent programme from 2014 to ease the elderly of their burden on medical expenses and provide incentive for them to choose private primary healthcare services in the community that best suit their needs. However, the Council also sees consumer complaints have been levelled against shops accepting Elderly Health Care Vouchers (Health Care Vouchers) for excessive charging and inducing the elderly into unnecessary purchases. In addition, allegations have been raised against clinic displaying the Health Care Voucher logo, for refusing to accept Health Care Vouchers on grounds that the doctor on duty has not registered in the Scheme.
The Council is urging the service providers to refrain from marking up prices on elders paying with Health Care Vouchers or taking advantage of the remaining balance in their Health Care Voucher account to sell them unnecessary services. Service providers should also improve communication with greater transparency on any service needed and the charges. For instance, they should clearly list out beforehand the various charges including consultation fee, medicines, examination expenses, etc. as well as the method of calculation; and offer different charging options for the choice of the elderly after provision of consultation service. As responsible service providers, they should, based on the records of the elderly’s Health Care Voucher accounts, explain in detail their account balance, the amount to be deducted, and obtain their consent before provision of services. To avoid unnecessary disputes, relatives and carers of the elderly should also accompany them to better understand of the details of the services provided and the related charges.
Case 1: Exorbitant charges depleting remaining Health Care Voucher balance
The complainant’s father, a urology patient, went to Clinic A for Chinese medical treatment and was charged $1,000 for consultation and $3,000 for 5 days’ herbal medicines. As he was short of cash, he used his Health Care Vouchers to pay the bill. Clinic A unilaterally deducted all the remaining balance in his account ($2,547) after waiving the consultation fee and offering a newspaper promotional discount, and then asked his father to pay $203 in cash. The complainant later sought explanation from Clinic A which claimed that some of the herbal medicines were very expensive having been bought from special sources and that the patient was informed and aware of it. The complainant was nonetheless dissatisfied refusing to believe that the prescribed herbal medicine was rare or valuable, accusing the clinic of overcharging and demanding for a refund.
In response to the Council’s conciliation effort, the clinic averred that its medical practitioner had quoted the price to the patient to seek consent before diagnosis and prescription. Prices of the medicines were also listed out for the patient’s general information; there was no overcharging and no refund would be provided. The clinic, however, acceded to the need for enhanced communication with elderly customers in future. The Council finally informed the complainant that he could consider civil litigation to pursue his case.
Case 2: Inducing the elderly to make unnecessary purchase
Optical Shop B persuaded the complainant’s father to use his Health Care Vouchers for examination and prescription of spectacles. Her father with a slight presbyopia agreed to use Health Care Vouchers of around $1,000 for a pair of prescribed spectacles. Later the complainant found out that her father had actually been prescribed 2 identical pairs of spectacles with different colors on the suggestion of the shopkeeper to have an extra pair for outdoor use while keeping the other pair for use at home. The complainant regarded such a suggestion utterly impractical as his father only used the glasses occasionally for reading newspapers or other everyday chores. She deemed her father had absolutely no need to be prescribed 2 pairs of identical spectacles, accusing Optical Shop B of using dishonest sales tactic to take advantage of her father’s Health Care Vouchers.
After approaching the Council for help, the complainant was able to reach a settlement with the shop which agreed to refund the cost of 1 pair of glasses. The complainant requested the Council to keep her complaint on file and draw public attention to such practice.
Case 3: No display of time periods applicable for use of Health Care Vouchers
The complainant went for medication consultation at Clinic C where the Health Care Voucher logo was on display. After consultation, she was surprised to be asked to pay the consultation fee of $440 in cash instead of being able to use her Health Care Vouchers. She was at a loss why the clinic displaying the Health Care Voucher logo refused to accept Health Care Vouchers.
In responding to the Council’s enquiry, the clinic explained that not all of its doctors had joined the Scheme. Upon checking the record, it was confirmed that the doctor on duty that day was not enrolled with the Scheme and therefore could not accept the Health Care Vouchers as payment. According to the clinic, normally patients would be asked beforehand if they would like to use Health Care Vouchers for the consultation. In case Health Care Vouchers are not applicable, the patient would be informed. After reviewing the matter, the clinic agreed to put up notice on the front door stating the time periods applicable for use of Health Care Vouchers for the information of patients, and to settle the dispute with the complainant concerned.
The elderly and members of their families are advised to heed the following:
- Browse the website (www.hcv.gov.hk) to check the name list of the enrolled service providers. Should you have doubt or suspect that any enrolled service provider has made improper claims for Health Care Vouchers, contact the Health Care Voucher Unit (Tel: 2838 2311)
- Health Care Vouchers could not be used solely for the sake of purchase of items such as medicines, spectacles, dried seafood or medical equipment. If using Health Care Vouchers for spectacles, for instance, the enrolled service provider must first conduct an examination for the elder and exercise his/ her professional judgement on whether the prescription of spectacles is appropriate for the elder’s condition;
- Before signing the consent form to use Health Care Vouchers for payment, check the information including the amount of Health Care Vouchers being agreed to be deducted from the account, the name of the enrolled service provider and the elderly’s name and Hong Kong Identity Card number etc.;
- After each usage, the elderly will receive and should retain a “Notice on use of Health Care Voucher” listing out the available amount, the amount to be deducted and the amount of the remaining balance;
- Relatives should remind their elderly that Health Care Vouchers carry no expiry date, of which the unused portion can be saved up to an accumulated total of $5,000.
The Consumer Council reserves all its right (including copyright) in respect of CHOICE magazine and Online CHOICE.