【Health Check 2025】Are more Body Check tests better? Price comparison of packages at 17 hospitals and health screening centers

Many people get an annual Body Check hoping that prevention is better than cure. When choosing a body check package, what should you consider? Are more tests always better, or is a more expensive package more effective? If you have a body check before buying insurance, what consequences might you face? Can you claim insurance for a body check? Which is better for a body check, a screening centre or a private hospital?

Regular medical check-ups help prevent disease, detect physical abnormalities early, and give you greater peace of mind in managing your health; they also help improve overall quality of life. Many chronic illnesses show no obvious symptoms in their early stages, and if you’re not careful you may miss the best window for treatment. Through a comprehensive physical exam, potential risks can be discovered early and addressed promptly, reducing the chance of the condition worsening. For people with a family history of disease or those in high-risk groups, it is an indispensable step in health management.

Regular full-body checkups are not only a way to understand your physical condition, but also a good method to maintain health and improve quality of life. Below are the various benefits of regular health examinations:

• Early detection of health problems: Many diseases have no obvious symptoms in the early stages. Regular checkups can detect problems before the disease worsens, enabling early treatment, greatly increasing the cure rate and reducing the risk of complications
• Prevention and control of chronic diseases：For chronic conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes, if risks are identified early and interventions are made (such as improving diet, exercise habits, or using medication), disease progression can be effectively delayed, and occurrence may even be prevented.
• Helps manage health and improve lifestyle：Examination reports reflect your body's condition and let you know where to start making changes, such as quitting smoking, losing weight, eating healthier, or increasing exercise, gradually establishing better lifestyle habits.
• Reduces future medical expenses: Early detection and treatment are usually simpler and less costly than waiting until conditions worsen, and can also reduce the burden of hospitalization or long-term treatment.
• Creates a health record for easy long-term tracking：Each checkup result can accumulate into a personal health record, making it easier for doctors to compare changes over the years and develop more precise health management plans.
• Reduces psychological stress and enhances peace of mind：Knowing your body is generally fine naturally brings reassurance, eliminating long-term worries about hidden illnesses and making life more relaxed.
• Particularly suitable for high-risk individuals：If you have a family history, are older, or already have chronic diseases, regular checkups are especially important to help detect changes early and adjust treatment plans in time.

If you experience symptoms such as rapid weight loss, persistent fatigue, unexplained bleeding, lumps, difficulty breathing, palpitations, or severe pain, you should get checked immediately. Those with a family history who develop related symptoms, changes in a chronic condition, or prior abnormal examination results should also follow up promptly. If you have long-term exposure to high‑risk environments—such as cooking oil fumes or radiation—and feel unwell, you should be examined as soon as possible.

In fact, everyone should have regular full‑body physical examinations, but the following people should pay special attention: those over 40, people with a family history of illness, patients with chronic diseases, and those with unhealthy lifestyles (such as smoking, heavy drinking, high stress, and lack of exercise). Women should undergo regular breast and cervical cancer screenings, while men are advised to check their prostate and intestinal health. People with specific needs—such as those planning pregnancy, before marriage, or immigrating—should also arrange the relevant examinations on time.

According to the Consumer Council's survey of Hong Kong basic health check-up packages, common examination items include:

• Health assessment: includes questionnaires, medical history, family history, lifestyle and current symptoms, with an initial analysis performed by a doctor or healthcare personnel.
• Physical examination: measure height, weight,BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, pulse, and cardiopulmonary and abdominal examinations.
• Blood tests：
  • Complete blood count (tests hemoglobin, white/red blood cells, platelets, etc.)
  • Lipid profile (total cholesterol,HDL,LDL, triglycerides)
  • Blood glucose (fasting or random blood glucose)
  • Liver function (GOT,GPT,ALP, bilirubin)
  • Kidney function (urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, etc.)
• Urine tests: detect abnormal indicators such as urinary protein, glucose, and occult blood.
• Stool tests: including fecal occult blood (used for colorectal cancer screening) and routine examination.
• Vision and color blindness tests: offered in some check-up plans.
• Electrocardiogram（ECG）: checks heart rhythm and cardiac function.
• Other tests (depending on the package): some providers may offer ultrasound examinations (e.g., abdominal, thyroid, breast, prostate) or tumor marker tests, usually as add-ons and requiring additional fees.

Note that more tests are not necessarily better; some invasive procedures (such as endoscopy) should be decided by a doctor after assessing individual risk.

General health check items are similar for men and women, such as blood pressure, blood glucose, blood lipids, liver and kidney function, electrocardiogram and chestX-ray, etc. However, depending on sex and physical characteristics, some key checks will differ.

The Hong Kong Urological Association recommends that55 to 77-year-old men discuss the pros and cons of PSA testing with their doctor and undergo regularPSA tests. Men with a family history of prostate cancer can begin regular screening earlier, from age40. If medically necessary, consider prostate or abdominal ultrasound, as well as nasopharyngeal and colorectal cancer screening to assess the health of related organs. Under a doctor's advice, hormone markers such as testosterone can also be tested to evaluate endocrine status. If there is a risk of osteoporosis, bone density testing can be considered after age65.

For women, cervical cancer screening should be done regularly after becoming sexually active, and from age40 they should pay special attention to breast and ovarian health. Common checks include breast and pelvic ultrasound, female hormone tests, etc. Postmenopausal women are also advised to have regular bone density checks to prevent osteoporosis. If preparing for pregnancy, consider genetic screening or a rubella antibody test.

In short, besides basic checks, men and women can add targeted items based on their age and health status. It is best to consult a doctor before the examination and then choose the most suitable health check plan for yourself.

Many health check-up packages are available on the market, claiming to target different customer groups, such as men, women, the elderly, etc. However, common basic checks usually include BMI, blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, complete blood count, liver function, routine urine tests, and so on, while some higher-priced packages further cover CT scans, MRI, ultrasound, exercise electrocardiograms, colonoscopy, bone density tests, gynecological examinations, etc.

Medical screening centers, clinics, and private hospitals all offer health checkup packages; the examinations vary widely and the price range is very broad, from a few hundred Hong Kong dollars to five-figure amounts. Incidentally, many credit card companies also partner with medical institutions to offer promotional packages. Consumers may want to compare prices before undergoing a checkup.

Package health checkups may look like a bargain bundle that offers a lot, but they are difficult to tailor to each person’s condition and may cause consumers to waste money and time.

A better approach is to adopt a tailor-made plan. Before the health checkup, consult your family doctor. The doctor will assess factors such as the person’s age, sex, lifestyle habits (e.g., diet, exercise, smoking or drinking), medical history, family history (e.g., diabetes, high cholesterol, colorectal cancer), and other personal needs (e.g., premarital screening), then make personalized testing recommendations, including which tests to perform and how frequently.

In addition, readers should spend some time understanding the effectiveness and purpose of the tests, for example most cancer markers are actually mainly used to monitor whether cancer treatment is effective and to check for recurrence, rather than for screening or diagnosing cancer.

During medical check-ups, some minor issues may be discovered, such as high "bad" cholesterol or fatty liver. When purchasing critical illness or medical insurance, customers must proactively disclose related diagnostic results to the insurer; otherwise they may be considered to have concealed "material facts", which could render the policy void or lead to claims being denied.

For example, if a check-up detects fatty liver, a critical illness policy might list the entire organ-related condition as an exclusion or charge an additional premium; similarly, if a woman is found to have benign breast cysts, future related breast conditions could become exclusions.

Which provider to use for the check-up, whether a health screening center or a hospital package is better, etc., are of course important, but consumers should ideally obtain medical or critical illness insurance before undergoing check-ups to reduce the chance of exclusions arising. In addition, if there are obvious symptoms or a doctor's recommendation, these should be truthfully disclosed to the insurer — one should not delay necessary examinations or conceal known conditions just to "get insured first." Finally, some insurance plans on the market also provide medical examinations; interested readers may wish to take note.

Can self-checks completely replace professional medical examinations?

No. Self-monitoring tools (such as blood pressure machines and wristbands) are only for daily reference and cannot fully reflect overall health. Professional medical examinations are interpreted by doctors and include blood, urine, imaging and cancer markers, which can help detect potential issues early and provide more comprehensive protection.

Do I need to buy insurance before getting a medical checkup?

It is recommended to buy first. If a problem is found after the checkup and you then apply for medical or critical illness insurance, you may face premium loadings, exclusions, or even rejection. To avoid affecting your coverage, it's best to buy insurance before having the checkup.

General health check vs female specialist exam — what's the difference?

General health checks cover items common to both sexes such as blood pressure, blood lipids, and liver and kidney function; female specialist exams target the breasts, uterus, ovaries and hormones. If you are over35, sexually active, or planning pregnancy, it is recommended to add specialist examinations.

Are more checkup items better?

Not necessarily. More items do not always mean better — the most important thing is that they match individual needs. Some high-priced checkup packages include invasive tests, but not everyone is suitable for them. It is recommended to consult a doctor first and choose appropriate tests based on age, medical history and risk factors to be practical and avoid unnecessary expenses.

Further reading:
【MRI Price Comparison 2025】A comprehensive look at MRI charges and contrast agent side effects

References:
1.Consumer Council. So many items in health check plans — how to choose?
2.Ming Pao — Large-package health checks may harm your body and your wallet

Last updated: 18 June 2025

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.