Press Releases

CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) has staged Phase II of its price adjustment initiative on 22 December, extending coverage to Orthopaedics &Traumatology, Breast Surgery, Gynaecology, chemotherapy and chronic medications. Building upon Phase I which commenced on 1 November, this initiative reinforces CUHKMC’s dedication to delivering transparent, affordable and trustworthy medical care.

Dr. CHUNG Kin Lai, Chief Executive Officer of CUHKMC, said, “We are pleased to receive positive feedback from the community regarding our Phase I price adjustments. Phase II now extends its coverage, including Orthopaedics &Traumatology, Breast Surgery, Gynaecology, chemotherapy and chronic medications. In this comprehensive review of approximately 320 items, we have implemented price reductions for 76%, maintained current pricing for 21%, with only one item requiring an increase in price.”

Many chronic disease patients require long-term medication, including those with hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia (known as “three-highs”), dementia, and urological conditions. Additionally, chemotherapy treatments typically extend over longer periods, inevitably creating a financial burden through sustained medication costs. To alleviate these medical expenses, in this phase, CUHKMC has reviewed and implemented price reductions for all 100 types of chronic medications and over 120 chemotherapy items, with some prices reducing by up to 30%, demonstrating our commitment to supporting patients throughout their healthcare journey. Taking a patient with “three highs” as an example, their monthly medication expenses have been reduced by approximately 35%, from over $1,800 to about $1,200.

In addition to medication costs, fees for the majority of surgical procedures have also been reduced. For example, the fee for bilateral total knee replacement surgery has been reduced by 5.4% from $275,510 to $260,500, i.e. a saving of $15,010. This adjustment initiative encompasses not only price reductions, but also package restructuring across different services. For example, in orthopaedic joint replacement surgery, fees are set according to different brands of artificial joints, with clearer definition of the scope of items covered in the pricing, allowing patients greater flexibility in their choices. For breast surgery, the current package structure has been simplified and some procedures have been unbundled from the existing package to improve charge transparency. Certain gynaecology service fees have been consolidated and repriced to better reflect procedural complexity. In addition, prices for all chemotherapy packages have been reduced in this adjustment exercise. 

In Phase I price adjustment implemented last month, over 1,300 items were reviewed, among which over 1,000 items had their fees lowered. In line with Phase I’s principles - prioritising clinical value, implementing evidence-based clinical protocols, and maintaining simple yet flexible pricing structures - CUHKMC provides the public with a wider range of healthcare options at more competitive prices in this phase of price adjustment.

On the whole, the price adjustments are based on five key strategies: bottom-up costing, capacity cost rates, complication risk assessment, benchmarking against the market, and factoring in feedback from stakeholders. Through this comprehensive evaluation mechanism, CUHKMC ensures pricing reflects both healthcare value and patient affordability.

CUHKMC implementing price adjustments not only provides practical benefits to the public, but also demonstrates CUHKMC’s determination in fulfilling its social responsibilities and serving as a crucial bridge between public and private healthcare systems. CUHKMC will continue to proactively review prices for the public along a practical approach, to ensure service charges are reasonable and value-for-money.