Date: Mon, 07 Dec 2020 04:22:22 +0000
Subject: Re: Application for Access to Information dated 19 November 2020 (Carissa Tsang) Freedom of Information request - Medical waiver issued to non-refoulement claimants
From: Carissa Tsang <[FOI #501 email]>
To: "Enquiry (Hospital Authority)" <[Hospital Authority request email]>

Dear Enquiry (Hospital Authority),

Thank you for your information.

I would like to follow up on your response.

Of the number of claims filed with the Small Claims Tribunal by the HA to recover unpaid bills by non-refoulement claimants, provided by your previous reply,
(1) Are the bills settled? If so, how? Please also provide the number of bills settled from 2014 - 2020
(2) Was a medical fee waiver issued subsequent to the Small Claims Tribunal proceedings? If so, please provide relevant statistics from 2014 - 2020
(3) Please provide the number of judgements against the HA from 2014 - 2020

Thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,
Carissa Tsang

-----Original Message-----

Dear Ms Tsang,



 Further to my reply dated 27 November 2020, please find below the Hospital
 Authority (HA) Head Office’s response to the item you requested:



 As non-refoulement claimants are non-residents of Hong Kong, they are
 charged at rates of Non-eligible Persons for using medical services in the
 public hospitals and clinics. Those non-refoulement claimants who have
 difficulty paying the charges for medical services at public hospitals and
 clinics could approach the Medical Social Workers (MSWs) at the HA or
 Social Workers (SWs) of Integrated Family Service Centres or Family and
 Child Protective Services Units (for their known cases only) of the Social
 Welfare Department for medical fee waiving applications. The MSWs/SWs
 would then assess the applicants’ financial and social condition on a
 case-by-case basis and, if considered appropriate, grant an one-off
 waiver.



 For outstanding medical fees, the HA has established policy and procedures
 governing the management and recovery of fees owed to the HA. Legal
 actions to recover outstanding bills may be taken as appropriate.



 The statistics on claims filed with the Small Claims Tribunal by the HA to
 recover unpaid bills by non-refoulement claimants for the financial years
 from 2014/15 to 2019/20 are provided below:



 Financial 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20
 Year
 Number of 463 666 689 717 437 373
 patients
 involved
 in claims
 filed
 with the
 Small
 Claims
 Tribunal
 by the HA



 If you have any questions about this reply, please do not hesitate to
 contact me.





 Yours sincerely,

 Sandy Chu(Miss)

 Access to Information Officer

 Hospital Authority Head Office

 (Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)



 From: [1][Hospital Authority request email]
 Sent: Friday, November 27, 2020 7:32 PM
 To: '[FOI #501 email]'
 <[2][FOI #501 email]>
 Subject: Application for Access to Information dated 19 November 2020
 (Carissa Tsang) Freedom of Information request - Medical waiver issued to
 non-refoulement claimants



 Dear Ms Tsang,



 Thank you for your Application for Access to Information dated 19 November
 2020.



 As the processing of your request involves consultation with the
 department concerned, we are unable to provide you with the information
 sought at this stage. You will be advised further in relation to your
 request on or before 9 December 2020.



 Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to
 contact me.







 Yours sincerely,

 Sandy Chu(Miss)

 Access to Information Officer

 Hospital Authority Head Office

 (Tel.: 2300 6568/2300 6555)



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