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 <
[email protected]>
To: "Enquiry (Hospital Authority)" <
[email protected]>
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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