The Food and Health Bureau of Hong Kong government Thursday launched a health care reform consultation to seek public views on the future development of the city's health care system and financing arrangements.

Presenting the consultation paper to the Hong Kong Legislative Council Health Services Panel on Thursday morning, Secretary for Food and Health of Hong Kong York Chow said the health care reform is a cross-generation project that concerns everyone in the society.

He said that no matter what changes are made to the health care system, the government will uphold its long-established policy of ensuring that no one be denied adequate health care for lack of means.

It will ensure health care services remain accessible to the low- income and under-privileged groups, and ensure the system continues to serve as a health care safety net for the whole community.

In the consultation paper, the government said it plans to undertake reform in five areas which include: enhancing primary care to put greater emphasis on preventive care; promoting public-private partnership in health care, developing electronic health- record sharing, strengthening the public health care safety net, and reforming health care financing arrangements.

Six options for providing supplementary financing have been outlined in the paper for discussion which include: increasing user fees for public health care services; requiring the workforce to contribute a certain percentage of their income to fund health care for the whole population; encouraging more individuals to take out private health insurance in the market; setting up personal health care reserve; establishing medical savings accounts, as well as mandatory private health insurance.

Chow reiterated the government's commitment to health care service will only be increased and not reduced.

"On the basis of the views received, we will formulate detailed proposals for the reform before proceeding to the second stage consultation," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2008)