New measures to avoid illegal use of health vouchers

The Health Bureau (SSM) presented a number of new measures last Friday that aim to correct several clinics’ misuse of the medical vouchers that the government provides to permanent residents every year.

In a statement, the SSM reaffirmed that the purpose of the vouchers is not only to financially subsidize residents’ healthcare bills but also to support physicians in the private sector. In that sense, the vouchers have limitations and are not intended to facilitate additional purchases.

New measures include the introduction of electronic vouchers – previous versions had been printed – managed through users’ Macau ID for two accounts, one from the clinic and another for the beneficiary.

The new system now enables two-way fund transfers between beneficiaries and clinics or individual doctors. These include transferring health vouchers to the doctor’s individual bank account and submitting the M1 tax form as proof of treatment; alternatively, users may transfer health vouchers to the clinic’s bank account, together with supporting documents, and submit a Direct Transfer Authorization.

The SSM said such measures would prevent problems such as “physician working for clinics [being seen as] independent professionals, double taxation, and others.”

SSM director Lei Chin Ion said the measures are the result of an evaluation over the last 10 months and that the bureau had received several opinions on measures to improve the system.

He added that health vouchers have been used unlawfully on several occasions in recent years, such as to acquire seafood, ginseng or other products.

The inspection also revealed that the number of vouchers used in clinics has grown in recent years, from 17 percent in 2009 to around 55 percent in 2017.

Fewer of these vouchers were used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as in Western style medicine and for private sector dentists.