Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Voucher Recepients I. Eligible persons Q1: If the elder is not a permanent resident (without three asterisks symbol printed on the HKIC), is he/she eligible for using the health care vouchers? A: Eligible person means a person aged 70 or above who holds a valid Hong Kong Identity Card within the meaning of the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Cap. 177) or a valid Certificate of Exemption within the meaning of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115). If the elder reaches the age of 70 and holds a valid HKIC or a valid Certificate of Exemption, he/she is an eligible voucher recipient even if he/she is not a permanent resident. Q2: Are elders aged 70 or above who are receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) or Disability Allowance (DA) eligible for using the health care vouchers? A: Yes. All elderly residents aged 70 or above are eligible for using the health care vouchers. 1
II. Services covered by the Scheme Q3: Can health care vouchers be used for healthcare services provided by charitable organizations, non-profit-making organizations or other non-government organizations? A: Health care vouchers can be used for private (non-subsidized) healthcare services. Based on principle of avoiding double subsidy by the Government, vouchers cannot be used for public services or those directly subsidized by the Government (including the publicly subsidized healthcare services purchased from the private sector). Health care vouchers can be used for healthcare services provided by charitable organizations, non-profit making organizations or other non-government organizations as long as the aforesaid principle is complied with. Q4: Can the elders aged 70 use health care vouchers to pay for the fees of community nurses? A: It depends on the nature of the organizations by which the community nurses are employed. The eligible person can use health care vouchers to pay the services provided by the community nurses employed by private institutions. The principle is to avoid double subsidy by the Government. Q5: Can health care vouchers be used for in-patient services? A: No. The Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme aims at enhancing the primary healthcare services for the elders. Therefore the 2
voucher cannot be used for in-patient services. Q6: Can health care vouchers be used for Accident & Emergency (A&E) services provided by private hospitals? A: Yes, if the A&E services belong to out-patient services and no in-patient services are involved, the voucher can then be used for paying such services. Yet, as the Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme aims at enhancing the primary healthcare services for the elders, we hope that healthcare service providers can recommend elders to use their health care vouchers for primary healthcare services. Q7: Can health care vouchers be used for minor surgeries performed at private out-patient clinics? A: Yes. Health care vouchers can be used for preventive and curative services but not for solely purchasing products such as medications, spectacles, dried seafood or medical equipment. Q8: Can health care vouchers be used for day surgery, e.g. cataract surgery? A: No. The Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme aims at enhancing the primary healthcare services for the elders, and therefore is not applicable to in-patient services. III. The Use of Health Care Vouchers 3
Q9: When can elders use their vouchers? A: From 2013, the Voucher Scheme has been converted from a pilot project into a recurrent support programme for the elderly. Elders aged 70 or above can continue to use vouchers to subsidize their use of private primary care services. Q10: If an elder has his/her birthday on 1 October 2009, can he/she use the vouchers on 1 January 2009? A: If an eligible elder reaches the age of 70 during the year, he/she can use health care vouchers from 1 January. Q11: On which date will the vouchers be issued and deposited into the account of voucher recipients annually? A: 1 January of each year during the Scheme period. Q12: When can elders register for the Scheme? A: In order to facilitate elders, they do not need to register in advance. When an eligible elder needs to receive healthcare services and use the vouchers, he/she just has to show his/her HKIC to an enrolled healthcare service provider and sign a consent form. Q13: If healthcare service providers provide outreach services, how can voucher recipients identify them? A: Voucher recipients or their carers can browse the list of enrolled healthcare service providers at the Health Care Voucher Scheme website (www.hcv.gov.hk). 4
Q14: When creating the account and claiming vouchers, can an elder show his/her senior citizen card instead of HKIC? A: No. Q15: When creating the account and claiming vouchers, can an elder show a copy of his/her HKIC instead of the original document? A: No. Q16: Is advance of vouchers which are yet to be issued allowed during the Scheme period? A: No. Q17: How will the unused vouchers be handled during the Scheme period? A: During the Scheme period, vouchers unused each year can be retained for use in the following years. The unspent vouchers amount can be carried forward and accumulated by an eligible elder but subject to an accumulation limit of $3,000. There is no restriction on the number of years that an elder may carry forward the unspent voucher amount but the cumulative total in the account as at 1 January each year cannot exceed $3,000. Q18: If an elder creates a voucher account in a clinic, can he/she claim vouchers in other clinics? A: Elders can use their vouchers in any clinic with the Scheme logo 5
displayed. Q19: Can voucher be used if the consultation fee is less than $50? A: It is stipulated in Terms and Condition of Agreement that the enrolled healthcare service provider s fee should not be less than the value of one voucher. If that consultation fee charged by the enrolled healthcare service provider is less than the value of one voucher, no voucher can be used for that consultation service. Q20: If the consultation fee is $120, can the voucher recipient use three vouchers (i.e.$150) at one time? A: No. The total value of the vouchers authorized by the voucher recipient to be used to settle the fees charged by the enrolled healthcare service provider should be equal to or less than the fees charged. In such circumstance, only two vouchers can be used at the most. Q21: How can an elder aged 70 and confined to bed in convalescent home use the vouchers? A: As long as there are enrolled healthcare service providers providing healthcare services for the eligible elders in the convalescent home, the elders can use the vouchers. Q22: Can an elder aged 70 create a joint voucher account with his/her spouse for future use by either party? A: No. 6
Q23: If an elder dies, can his/her voucher balance be transferred to his/her spouse for use? A: No. The vouchers can only be used for primary healthcare services by eligible elders. They are non-transferable and not for sale. Q24: Elders with bad memory may forget the number of vouchers they have used. How can we handle this situation? A: Upon deduction of vouchers from the elders voucher accounts, enrolled healthcare service providers will provide elders with a Notice on use of Health Care Voucher indicating the number of voucher before the visit, claimed for the visit and the remaining number of voucher for use after the visit. Moreover, family members or carers can help elders to check the balance by accessing the website: www.hcv.gov.hk or calling 2838 0511.. Q25: How can the mentally incapacitated elders (including those who are mentally handicapped and mentally disordered) use the vouchers? A: Guardians are given the legal power by the Guardianship Board to make important decisions relating to personal circumstances for such adults about his/her place of residence or consenting to his/her medical or dental treatment. Guardians may also be given legal power to manage a limited amount of that person s money. For cases with the Director of Social Welfare as the legal guardian, they will be followed up by social workers of the Social Welfare Department. 7
Regarding elders who are incapable of making their own decisions and have no legal guardian, issues concerned are usually handled by their family members or social workers (not duly authorized) on the premise that the benefit and welfare of the elders are safeguarded. The above arrangements are applicable to the Scheme. Q26: If the elder is illiterate, how can he/she sign on the consent form? A: If the elder is illiterate, he/she can put a mark or finger print on the space for signature to indicate that he/she agrees with the number of vouchers deducted. The process needs to be witnessed by an adult who should put his/her name, HKIC number and sign on the consent form as well. Q:27 If the elder is illiterate, can staff of medical organizations (e.g. nurses) be the witness in the consent form? A: Yes. The witness has to write down his/her name, HKIC number and sign on the consent form. Health Care Voucher Unit Department of Health January 2013 8