Over 200 doctors join govt subsidised screening scheme
The Health Bureau said over 200 private doctors have joined a subsidised diabetes and hypertension screening scheme due to start in mid-November.  Under the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme, people aged 45 or above who have not been previously diagnosed with the two conditions will be entitled to undergo subsidised screening with family doctors who have signed up for the programme.  Those who are confirmed with prediabetes will be entitled to a maximum of four subsidised consultation visits per year, while those who’re found to have diabetes or high blood pressure can get up to six subsidised consultations each year.  The programme is part of a plan to switch the focus of the local healthcare system from treatment to the prevention of illnesses. Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, the Health Bureau said people who are free of these conditions will be rewarded if they achieve certain health incentive targets, by, for example, checking their blood pressure regularly.  They will enjoy HK$150 off their follow-up check in the following year.  Authorities say participating doctors will also receive an “incentive payment” if at least 70 percent of their patients meet their health incentive targets.  "This is a very special component for this scheme to have an incentive arrangement,” said Cheung Wai-lun, the bureau's Strategic Purchasing Office director. "For the patient incentive, we mainly focus on the patient self-monitoring of their conditions, and also compliance to treatment. For the doctor incentive, we try to focus on the doctor trying to encourage patients to comply with the treatment, and also to have better control on the high blood pressure and also the blood sugar level."  The bureau said it hopes some 200,000 residents will join the screening scheme, and it’s appealing for more doctors to sign up for the programme.