Tam says non-resident childbirth fees will be means-tested

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam has confirmed to the public that the delivery charge hike for non-resident mothers at the public hospital will be means-tested.

He said that that the proposed ninefold increase will only be applicable to some non-resident workers, while those earning below a yet-to-be-defined threshold will face fares just three times higher than at present.

Tam’s intervention in the proposal will see natural births for low-income non-resident women raised from MOP975 to MOP2,925, while caesarean sections will increase from MOP1,950 to MOP5,850.

The policy change is a significant departure from the plan announced by the Health Bureau on February 28, which called for an across-the-board, ninefold hike for deliveries by all non-resident women at the public hospital.

Tam said last week that the hike was never intended to affect domestic workers – among the lowest earners in the Macau SAR – implying that it had been miscommunicated to the public.

A statement from the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture issued yesterday said that Tam was unimpressed by “untrue statements that have surfaced on the internet that try to mislead the public” regarding the increase in childbirth charges.

However, the same statement seemed to acknowledge that the decision to exempt some non-resident workers had come about in response to public opinion. It said that the Secretary, after consideration and consultation with local organizations, has decided to lower the increase in delivery charges for low-income non-resident workers.

Since announcing the proposal last month, the Health Bureau has argued that deterring non-residents from using the services of the public hospital will allow the institution to improve the quality of healthcare afforded to residents.

In yesterday’s statement, the Secretary Tam’s Office said that by clearing maternity wards the government hopes to encourage local residents to have more children.

“The value of local childbirth rates is extremely low in comparison to the mainland, neighboring countries and regions, and it is expected that, with the increase in the fees in question, pregnant tourists will resort to private hospitals, of medical resources, granting residents privileges in using the medical services of the public hospital,” it read.

According to data provided by the government, around 200 non-resident women give birth at the public hospital each year (excluding tourists), accounting for 8 percent of the total number of births.