Hong Kong private healthcare providers should give better idea of pricing: minister

Private healthcare providers in Hong Kong should give patients a clearer idea of the treatment costs they will face, the health minister has said, while also vowing the government will not cap prices for a service he likened to omakase dining at a Japanese restaurant.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau told lawmakers on Friday the government was obliged to ensure the quality of medical services, in comments made after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu vowed to make improvements to the sector in his latest policy address.

Lee said on Wednesday the government would consider introducing legislation mandating price transparency for private healthcare.

“Healthcare is a service but not a commodity, and the quality is very important,” Lo said in a Legislative Council meeting. “We are not limiting the fees, but asking for transparency in the charges.

“You can set any prices, even a sky-high price, as long as patients know about it beforehand,” he said.

He likened the ideal situation to omakase, a Japanese meal experience where customers paid a fixed price and had their dishes selected by the chef.

“In hospitals, doctors decide what examination or treatment you need … we understand that it is not that easy to say in advance what treatments are needed, so we are not limiting the fees but stressing transparency,” Lo said, adding that patients should be told in advance how much an operation would cost.