Chinese Medicine

169.         The Preparatory Task Force on the Chinese Medicine Development Committee appointed by the current-term Government has put forward proposals on the Committee's terms of reference and composition. I will set up the Chinese Medicine Development Committee at the end of this month. The Committee will focus its studies on policies and measures to further the development of the Chinese medicine industry. Key study areas include enhancing the professional standards and status of Chinese medicine practitioners; strengthening research and development of Chinese medicine; promoting treatment with integrated Chinese and Western medicine; expanding the role of Chinese medicine practitioners and Chinese medicine in the public healthcare system; and introducing Chinese medicine in-patient services.

Healthcare Financing

170.         A working group and a consultative group have been set up to make specific recommendations on the implementation of the Health Protection Scheme (HPS). They are also studying the provision of reasonable and necessary financial incentives or public subsidies to facilitate implementation of the scheme, such as tax breaks, to encourage people to purchase health insurance. We hope that, through their voluntary participation in a government-regulated HPS, people can have access to private healthcare services which offer more value-for-money. We will put forward a proposal on the HPS in 2013 for public consultation.

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