Key points you need to know about the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS)

Hong Kong’s public healthcare services have often made news headlines in recent years – waiting times are getting longer, wards are ever more crowded, and manpower shortage of healthcare professionals continues to worsen. Serving a growing and ageing population, public hospitals are coming under increasing pressure. Although there is an option to seek medical services from private hospitals, the costs are generally quite high and therefore not accessible to many. With proper health insurance, potential financial burden from medical services can be alleviated.

To enhance the protection level of individual indemnity hospital insurance products, the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) was launched on 1 April 2019 by the Food and Health Bureau. With tax incentives provided to encourage hospital insurance uptake, one can opt for private healthcare services when needed, relieving the pressure on public hospitals in the long run.

As its name suggests, VHIS is a scheme that allows insurance companies and citizens to participate voluntarily. Those who are not covered by any hospital insurance can assess the need for such protection. If you already have hospital insurance coverage, you can compare your existing policy against the VHIS Plans to see which is better suited to your needs. A few frequently asked questions are listed below to help you further understand VHIS.

 

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28 May 2019