The Health Bureau’s Primary Healthcare Commission announced today that the Hepatitis B Co-care Scheme, allowing eligible individuals to receive a hepatitis B risk assessment, screening and long-term management, will be launched on February 7.

Targeting those at higher risk, the scheme aims to identify people with chronic hepatitis B at an early stage, offer them long-term follow-up services and reduce their risk of developing cirrhosis, liver cancer or other serious complications.

Starting from February 7, eligible individuals can enrol in the scheme at District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses (DHCs).

Hong Kong residents born in or before 1988 with no known medical history of chronic hepatitis B, but with family members or sexual partners who have contracted chronic hepatitis B, are eligible to participate. They must first register as DHC members and agree to join eHealth.

Regarding the screening process, DHC staff will arrange for eligible participants to undergo a free hepatitis B surface antigen rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and pair them with a family doctor of their own choice.

Participants with positive RDT results will be subsidised by the Government to receive further blood tests, under a co-payment model, to confirm whether they are infected with the hepatitis B virus.

If the result of a participant’s first blood test is positive, their family doctor will arrange for a second blood test six months later to confirm the diagnosis.

Family doctors will assess and diagnose whether a participant has chronic hepatitis B based on the participant’s laboratory results and clinical conditions, with a view to providing appropriate treatment and management.

During the screening phase, participants are only required to pay a co-payment fee of $180. Moreover, the Government will subsidise up to two consultations with family doctors, resulting in a total consultation fee of $136.

Participants not diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B after screening can continue to receive hepatitis B-related health counselling and education at DHCs.

Participants who are diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B will enter the treatment phase. They will be entitled to a maximum of four subsidised follow-up consultations per year, and will pay a co-payment fee determined by the family doctor for each consultation.

The Government has recommended a co-payment fee of $150 per consultation, and will provide a subsidy of $166 to family doctors for each consultation.

The basic-tier drug list under the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Pilot Scheme) includes antiviral medicines for hepatitis B treatment. Participants prescribed those drugs will not be required to pay for medication.

In addition, family doctors can arrange appropriate laboratory testing services for participants. The list of laboratory tests and related co-payment fees are the same as those under the CDCC Pilot Scheme.

For participants who have also enrolled in the CDCC Pilot Scheme Family, doctors can offer management of chronic diseases such as prediabetes, diabetes mellitus, hypertension or hyperlipidaemia in the same consultation. Participants will only be required to pay a co-payment fee for one consultation.

Meanwhile, if participants are recipients of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, recipients of the Old Age Living Allowance aged 75 or above, or holders of valid medical fee waiver certificates, DHCs will arrange for them to receive chronic hepatitis B screening and treatment services at one of 18 designated Hospital Authority Family Medicine Clinics. They may be granted a full or partial medical fee waiver based on their eligibility.