Hong Kong to raise medical reimbursement for workers in 2026

The adjustments, approved by the Legislative Council on September 26, cover outpatient treatment expenses under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (ECO) and the Pneumoconiosis and Mesothelioma (Compensation) Ordinance (PMCO). 

Under the revisions, the reimbursable daily rate for outpatient treatment will be adjusted from HK$300 to HK$500, while same-day inpatient and outpatient treatment will rise HK$370 to HK$700. The rate for inpatient treatment will remain at HK$300.

The Labour Department said the new rates aim to enhance protection for employees injured on the job or diagnosed with occupational diseases.

"In general, the revised rates can cover the expenses incurred by injured employees and prescribed occupational disease sufferers on consultation, treatment/therapy, injection and dressing, medicines and hospitalisation, etc, daily in a public hospital or clinic," a Labour Department spokesperson said.

Under the ECO and the PMCO, employees who receive medical treatment for a work-related injury or a prescribed occupational disease can claim reimbursement for medical expenses up to the maximum daily rates set in the two ordinances.

The revised rates will take effect on January 1, 2026, for all eligible medical treatments received on or after that date.

The adjustment comes as Hong Kong employers face rising costs for employee medical insurance. According to research by the College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE) at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, group medical insurance premiums have increased by around 55% over the past three years. 

The findings attributed the surge to 'high utilisation rates' for healthcare services in the region, including treatment related to post-COVID illnesses. 

"Group medical insurance is facing a dilemma where high utilisation leads to premium increases, which, in the long run, could undermine the sustainability of private healthcare and indirectly intensify the pressure on the public healthcare system," said Professor Peter Yuen Pok-man, dean of CPCE.

Hong Kong's healthcare system is also seeing a sharp rise in outpatient visits, particularly for upper respiratory infections. According to government health data, cases of common colds and other acute upper respiratory infections increased by 25% year over year in 2024.