Rising Trend of Hong Kong Residents Seeking Medical Treatment in Mainland China Amid Healthcare Costs
- Association Secretary
- Mar 29
- 4 min read
As Hong Kong faces an increasingly aging population, the burden of government healthcare spending has intensified, leading to the introduction of a series of reform plans for public medical fees. These adjustments cover costs related to emergency services, hospitalization, specialist outpatient services, and examinations. With the demand for medical care continuing to rise, many Hong Kong residents are opting for Voluntary Health Insurance Schemes (VHIS) to mitigate the potential heavy financial burden of healthcare in the future.
Additionally, as communication between Hong Kong and mainland China becomes more frequent, an increasing number of Hong Kong individuals are seeking medical treatment in cities such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the Greater Bay Area for work, life, or travel purposes. Due to lower hospital fees in mainland China, selecting designated hospitals from Hong Kong insurance companies' lists allows patients to receive treatment without significant out-of-pocket expenses.
The trend of heading north for medical care is gradually extending from dining and retail consumption to healthcare, relocation, and retirement. The development of the mainland's medical system, coupled with government subsidy measures, lower medical fees, and shorter wait times, has encouraged Hong Kong residents to seek treatment in the Greater Bay Area. As mainland medical services evolve, Hong Kong residents are shifting from initial treatments, such as dental care and health check-ups, to more specialized examinations and surgeries, including orthopedic procedures and cancer treatments. Many patients express concerns regarding long wait times for surgeries at public hospitals in Hong Kong, and private healthcare costs can be significantly high. As a result, seeking treatment across the border reduces waiting times and allows patients to receive prompt care at more affordable prices.
Moreover, patients report a stark contrast in the cost of targeted cancer medication. The limited scale of the Hong Kong medical market hampers the government's bargaining power with pharmaceutical companies, resulting in exorbitant prices for many rare disease medications and targeted cancer therapies, some of which are not included in the Hospital Authority's medication list, forcing patients to pay out of pocket for these costly drugs and potentially depleting their savings. In contrast, the National Healthcare Security Administration in the mainland uniformly procures medications from manufacturers and incentivizes price reductions by including them in the medical insurance drug list. Being listed in the medical insurance drug catalog enables companies’ medicines to enter major markets. Given the substantial population and demand for medications in mainland China, companies are more inclined to decrease prices to boost sales. Cancer patients who have accessed medications in the mainland report that the cost of targeted drugs in Hong Kong public hospitals is approximately HKD 36,000 per month, while the same drugs in mainland China cost about RMB 4,000 (approximately HKD 4,280), illustrating a price difference of over seven times.
Reasons Behind Price Discrepancies Between the Two Regions
On one hand, Hong Kong and mainland China operate under different customs zones with distinct customs regulations, leading to substantial price variations for the same medication from the same manufacturer. Pharmaceutical companies often set higher prices in high-income regions to recover research and development costs.
On the other hand, the vast population and high demand for medical services on the mainland enable the National Healthcare Security Administration to leverage bulk purchasing and negotiate lower drug prices with manufacturers. In contrast, the Hong Kong government lacks the negotiating power that the National Healthcare Security Administration possesses, making it challenging to avoid the occurrence of exorbitant drug prices.
In addition to medication costs, the importation of medical equipment and materials, along with high labor costs, are also core factors contributing to the overall expensive healthcare environment in Hong Kong. According to the Hospital Authority's salary scale, starting salaries for doctors in Hong Kong can exceed HKD 70,000, which is up to ten times higher than those of doctors in mainland China, and this is for public hospital physicians; salaries for private hospital doctors could be even higher.
These combined factors contribute to the phenomenon of high medical expenses in Hong Kong.
Continued Trend of Cross-border Medical Care
The lower medical fees in mainland China continue to attract Hong Kong residents seeking treatment, which is seen positively by both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments. In recent years, the Hong Kong government has actively introduced various cross-border medical welfare policies, such as the Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme in the Greater Bay Area, electronic cross-border health records, and the Hong Kong-Macau medical device initiative.
These initiatives by the Hong Kong government have not gone unnoticed by local medical institutions, with more and more hospitals in Hong Kong seeking opportunities on the mainland. For example, the Chinese University of Hong Kong Hospital plans to open a branch hospital in Shenzhen, projected to officially start operations by the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, Shenzhen's government and medical institutions are also actively implementing measures to facilitate access for Hong Kong residents seeking medical treatment across the border.
For instance, the Shenzhen Luohu District Chinese Medicine Hospital (Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Shenzhen Hospital) offers free shuttle services at the Liantang Port and provides Cantonese informational hotlines and guide services for both Hong Kong residents and mainland citizens, charging similar rates for residents from both regions and offering multiple online and cash payment options to maximize convenience for Hong Kong patients.
Another example is the Bao'an District People's Hospital in Shenzhen, which has set up a special health service center for Hong Kong and Macau residents. The center not only resembles Hong Kong clinics in terms of decor but also adopts the same consultation processes and practices used in hospitals in Hong Kong.
Despite the efforts from both governments and medical institutions to facilitate cross-border medical care, achieving complete integration of healthcare resources between the two regions remains a long-term challenge.
As the trend of seeking medical treatment in mainland China continues to grow and develop, both the supply of services and the demand from patients are expected to evolve. The collaboration between Hong Kong’s healthcare providers and mainland facilities could pave the way for innovative approaches to healthcare delivery and potentially improve outcomes for patients in both regions. Nevertheless, addressing patient concerns and ensuring quality care will be essential in solidifying the future of cross-border medical collaborations.