Annual Spending Cap (For Eligible Persons)


Strengthening healthcare protection is a key aspect of the public healthcare fees and charges reform. In addition to the existing medical fee waiving mechanism, the Hospital Authority (HA) establishes a second safety net by introducing a HK$10,000 cap on an eligible patient’s annual spending for specified public medical fees and charges without requiring financial assessment with effect from 1 January 2026. Upon successful application, such patient will not be required to pay for any further Eligible Medical Fees and Charges for that calendar year. The new measure aims at easing the financial burden faced by patients suffering from sudden severe illnesses or chronic illnesses.

Guide on Annual Spending Cap
Annual Spending Cap Leaflet
Annual Spending Cap Lazy Pack (Chinese version only)
Annual Spending Cap Video (Chinese version only)
Enquiry or Application for Annual Spending Cap – HA Go Video
Annual Spending Cap FAQs
Notice to patient

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Must be an Eligible Persons*
  • Spending on Eligible Medical Fees and Charges in that year reached $10,000
  • No outstanding Eligible Medical Fees and Charges in HA at the time of application
  • Must not be receiving hospital services that are considered by HA as not clinically necessary

    • * According to the Gazette, Eligible Persons are: (i) holders of Hong Kong Identity Card issued under the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Chapter 177), except those who obtained their Hong Kong Identity Card by virtue of a previous permission to land or remain in Hong Kong granted to them and such permission has expired or ceased to be valid; (ii) children who are Hong Kong residents and under 11 years of age; or (iii) other persons approved by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority


    Validity Period: Effective on 1 January 2026. Operate on a calendar-year basis (from 1 January to 31 December)


    Scope of Annual Spending Cap:

    Eligible Public Healthcare Services
    (include but not limited to)
  • Inpatient service
  • Accident & Emergency service
  • Specialist out-patient service
  • Family Medicine out-patient service
  • Day hospital / day procedure
  • Pathology and radiology services
    		•
  • Standard drugs
  • Community services
  • Public-Private Partnership Programmes, which are set at same level of the fees and charges for the equivalent services provided by HA
    		•

    Charges for self-financed drugs and medical devices are excluded. For details about the Eligible Public Healthcare Services, please refer to the Guide on Annual Spending Cap.


    Submission of Application:

  • Patients who met the eligibility criteria may submit their applications via HA Go or at any hospitals’ shroff offices once their cumulative valid annual spending reached $10,000.
  • Other persons may submit application on behalf of the patient. Registered carer of a patient under HA Go can apply via HA Go for the patient. Other applicants must sign and return the prescribed form on behalf of the patient at the hospitals’ Shroff offices.
  • Applications are accepted on a calendar-year basis starting from 1 January of the concerned calendar year of application to 31 March of the following calendar year. Late applications will not be accepted. Eligible Medical Fees and Charges only include those billed between 1 January and 31 December of each year and fully paid upon submission of the application.
  • New application for the Annual Spending Cap is required for each calendar year.
  • The assessment process generally takes 14 calendar days. A progress update will be given for assessments that cannot be completed within this period.

    • Other Points to Note:

  • All HA bills issued from the date of application should be paid pending the result of application.
  • Any payment made beyond the annual cap of $10,000 prior to the approval of Annual Spending Cap will be carried over to the subsequent year(s) to cover Eligible Medical Fees and Charges without an expiry date. This amount will also be included in the cumulative valid spending for the subsequent year(s). Under exceptional circumstances (e.g. for deceased patients), applicants may approach hospitals to apply for refund arrangement.
  • Patients must state at the time of registration for hospital services that the Annual Spending Cap has been approved to ensure that they will not be required to pay the Eligible Medical Fees and Charges.
  • HA will conduct periodic review on approved Annual Spending Cap cases.

    • For details about Annual Spending Cap including the criteria, Eligible Public Healthcare Services, submission of application and other points to note, please refer to Guide on Annual Spending Cap.


    Enquiries

    Shroff Offices of public hospitals