Subsidy level and co-payment
The Government will provide two levels of subsidy for the “Standard Package of Colonoscopy Service" depending on whether polypectomy is performed during colonoscopy examination.
The amount of government subsidy for the “Standard Package of Colonoscopy Service" is $8,500 if polyp(s) is removed as enrolled CS requires longer time and more equipment in the removal of polyp(s).
The amount is $7,800 if no polyp(s) is found / removed.
The subsidy for the “Standard Package of Colonoscopy Service" will be payable in two stages:
- A first subsidy of $300 will be paid for pre-procedural consultation. To promote continuity of care, the first subsidy for each participant will only be paid to the first CS who submits claim for subsidy in CRC IT System (i.e. the first CS who records the pre-procedural consultation of the participant in the CRC IT System). All subsequent pre-procedural consultation(s) will be paid out-of-pocket by the participant.
- A second subsidy will be paid upon completion of the whole standard package.
After deducting the government subsidy, the enrolled CS is allowed to charge co-payment fees for the subsidised standard package. There will be a cap of $1,000 in order not to deter participants from receiving colonoscopy services if Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) result is positive. The cap will be the same for both colonoscopy with polyp(s) and without polyp. The co-payment will be a one-off payment settled at the time of colonoscopy examination. CS should note that the co-payment fee should be indicated at enrolment and it cannot be changed afterwards.
It is advisable that the co-payment amount be set at $0 to promote participation by the less well-off members of society. If co-payment amounts are set, enrolled CS are encouraged to offer charity quotas by waiving this amount for individuals who are recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance or holders of Certificate for Waiver of Medical Charges.
Below is a summary of the scenarios where the CS may receive the payment after provision of services:
| Standard package | Colonoscopy with polyp(s) removed | Colonoscopy without polyp removed | Remark |
| Subsidy for pre-procedural consultation | $300 | $300 | Payable upon completion of pre-procedural consultation |
| Subsidy for colonoscopy | $8,200 | $7,500 | Payable upon completion of the whole standard package |
| Total government subsidy | $8,500 | $7,800 |