Hsiao's more than 500-page report says that doctors prescribe needless antibiotics, overcharge and are under-regulated by the government.

In addition, there is no standardized or guaranteed basic health care, meaning problems for the poor and middle-class Hong Kong residents who must shop around among doctors who will charge widely varying rates for the same procedure.

After viewing drafts of the report, Hong Kong doctors responded angrily, calling Hsiao's comments ridiculous and impossible and defending their commitment to quality care.

His suggested reforms would institute mandatory contributions to the system from both employers and employees and provide "old-age insurance" to guarantee care for the elderly and "emergency insurance" to allow those hit with a sudden illness to afford expensive care.

A basic standard of care--moving towards a system like the American one where certain health care services are provided free to the poor--will likely also be part of Hsiao's proposal.

By funding health care reform with the Medicare-style tax revenue, Hong Kong hopes to remedy the inconsistent quality of care provided by public and private hospitals.

Hsiao's solution for Hong Kong seems in many ways an adaptation of his "fix" for Medicare in the 1980s.