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When the price of hamburgers or subway fares increases, people tend to notice immediately. However, when it comes to medical insurance, with annual premiums often amounting to several thousand dollars, do you retrieve your previous payment notices to check the changes in premiums each year upon receiving the latest one? You might feel that medical insurance premiums seem to rise every year, but the extent of these increases has long lacked transparency in the market, leaving consumers with little means to verify. Over the past three years, 10Life has collected premium data from various medical insurance products in the market to uncover the truth behind premium hikes for medical insurance products. This article will discuss the premium increases for mass medical insurance products, covering standard ward (large room) plans with supplementary medical benefits (see Note 1) from AIA, AXA Hong Kong and Macau, Bupa, Cigna Healthcare, FWD, Manulife, Prudential, and Sun Life.

We will compare the premiums for the same period in September 2017 and September 2019. Assuming the policyholder was 35 years old in September 2017, they would be 37 years old by September 2019. We compare the premiums based on the corresponding ages and the premiums at those times (see Note 2). This time, we have compared the premium changes over the two years for non-smoking males aged 35 and 37, 45 and 47, and 55 and 57.

The study found that over the two-year period, premium increases for a 35-year-old male policyholder ranged from 4.1% to 17.8%, with the highest increase for a 45-year-old reaching up to 23.4%, and for a 55-year-old, the highest increase was 20.9%. For both 35 and 45-year-olds, the product with the most significant premium increase was Manulife’s Lifelong Protector (Standard) with Supplementary Major Medical Benefits. For 55-year-olds, the product with the highest increase was Bupa’s Shared Limit Medical Hospitalisation and Surgical Protection + Supplementary Medical Benefits. Across these three age groups, Sun Life’s Heartfelt Medical Protection 1 + Optional Supplementary Benefits recorded the lowest increase, ranging from only 4.1% to 5.2%.

Premium increases for medical insurance are primarily driven by two factors. The first is age-related factors. Generally, as age increases, the risk of claims rises, and premiums increase accordingly. When purchasing medical insurance, you can refer to the premium table of the product, which lists the premiums for different ages. However, this table only reflects the premium for the policyholder’s age at the time of purchase and does not represent future premiums. This brings us to the second factor behind premium hikes—medical inflation. Insurance companies periodically review the entire premium table and increase premiums across all age groups. Due to space constraints, this article only breaks down the premium increases due to age and medical inflation for the products with the most significant hikes.

Medical inflation is caused by various factors, such as rising costs for hospital rooms, doctor fees, and medication, as well as advancements in medical technology that make previously untreatable conditions treatable, leading to more medical claims. To address medical inflation, insurance companies may not only raise premiums but also increase the coverage limits of medical insurance. For instance, while the premium increase for Manulife’s Lifelong Protector (Standard) with Supplementary Major Medical Benefits is significant, the product has also seen substantial increases in compensation limits for multiple items.

If you plan to purchase medical insurance for the long term, in addition to considering the current premium (at the time of purchase), you should also assess your future affordability, with premium increases being one of the key indicators. Consumers should also pay attention to whether insurance companies increase coverage levels alongside premium hikes, and whether these enhancements genuinely improve the policyholder’s protection or are merely minor benefits. For the estimated coverage ratios of mass medical insurance products across various injury and illness cases, you can refer to 10Life’s 《Product Decoder》.

Undoubtedly, medical insurance is a complex product. It is important to understand your personal needs and compare products from multiple perspectives. If you have any questions, you can use the “Ask Anonymously” feature on the 10Life website to receive prompt responses from multiple licensed advisors.

The above study is limited to the main products of mass medical insurance. However, medical insurance products have different positioning. For example, high-end medical insurance products are not included in this study, as their claim patterns differ and may result in varying degrees of premium increases. 10Life will publish further analyses in the future, so please stay tuned.

Note:

The mass medical insurance products compared in this study (standard ward plans with Supplementary Major Medical Benefits, abbreviated as SMM) include: AIA Premier “HealthShield” Medical Protection Plan 2 + Supplementary Medical Benefits; AXA Smart Medical + Supplementary Medical Rider - Standard; Bupa Shared Limit Medical Hospitalisation and Surgical Protection + Supplementary Medical Benefits; Cigna Healthcare Custom Medical Protection + Supplementary Medical Benefits; FWD WarmCare Medical + Optional Medical Enhancement Rider (Standard); Manulife Lifelong Protector - Standard - Supplementary Major Medical Benefits; Prudential Lifetime Protection Medical Plan + Supplementary Medical Rider; Sun Life Heartfelt Medical Protection 1 + Optional Supplementary Benefits.

10Life compared the premiums for mass medical insurance products in September 2017 and September 2019 for non-smoking male policyholders, based on the corresponding ages and the premiums at that time.

Policyholder is a non-smoking male	In September 2017	In September 2019
35 and 37 years old	Premium at age 35	Premium at age 37
45 and 47 years old	Premium at age 45	Premium at age 47
55 and 57 years old	Premium at age 55	Premium at age 57

This English version of this article has been generated by machine translation powered by AI. It is provided solely for reference purposes. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between this translation and the original Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.

Last updated: 9 Apr 2026

10Life Editorial Team

Our team of professional content researchers focussing on insurance

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10Life Editorial Team

Our team of professional content researchers focussing on insurance

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10Life Product Comparison and 10Life Insurance Ratings are developed by 10Life Financial Limited, an authorised insurance broker company licensed with the Insurance Authority under License Number FB1526. 10Life Product Comparison and 10Life Insurance Ratings are developed for generic customer segments using mathematical calculations based on product information, facts and data, and are not influenced by any partnerships with or fees received from insurance companies. Any information on 10Life Platform ("10Life Information"), including but not limited to Product Comparison, Product Ratings, Blog Articles are intended for general education purpose and reference only. None of the 10Life Information is intended, nor should they be considered or relied upon, as regulated advice, insurance, financial, investment or professional advice, recommendation, approval, endorsement, invitation or solicitation in respect of any insurance, financial or investment products. 10Life Information does not take into account your individual needs. Reading 10Life Information should not be considered as conducting a suitability assessment, and is not sufficient to form the basis of any decisions to purchase any insurance products. You should rely on information authorised by insurance companies, carry out your own research and/or seek independent advice from licensed intermediaries before purchasing any insurance products or making any insurance decisions. While reasonable effort is used when collecting, validating and updating 10Life Information from various channels, none of 10Life Group and its subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, directors, officers and employees will be responsible for any liability, claim or loss arising from or associated with you using 10Life Information. No warranty, representation or guarantee is given by 10Life Group and its subsidiaries on the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the information. If you have any questions on 10Life Product Comparison and 10Life Insurance Ratings, please email us at enquiries@10life.com

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Medical insurance premiums have increased by over 20% in two years. Consumers should be aware of medical inflation.

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