A Strong Backing for Family Health: Purchase Voluntary Health Insurance Together (With Family Discount Overview, Updated January 2021)

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Once, life was boundless and free; now, with a family, one becomes more cautious and considerate. As the saying goes, the most important thing for a family is to stay united and healthy. To safeguard health, medical insurance becomes indispensable. When buying insurance is no longer just about oneself, how should one consider choosing a medical insurance plan for themselves and their family? Starting from the perspective of family, this time 10Life will compare the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) plans (semi-private room) offered by AIA, AXA Hong Kong and Macau, Bupa, HSBC Life, and Manulife. Beyond coverage for common illnesses, we will also analyse family-friendly product features and provide an overview of available discounts.

Family Group Enrolment in VHIS Saves More on Tax; Semi-Private Room Plans Suitable for Young Children

Nowadays, many people opt for VHIS to enjoy tax deductions. Enrolling family members together can save even more on taxes. In practice, the higher-income taxpayer in the household can purchase VHIS for themselves and their family members (such as spouse, children, parents, etc.), with the premiums for each insured person eligible for tax deductions. Additionally, VHIS is regulated by the Food and Health Bureau, with standardised terms for its standard plans. Of course, for enhanced coverage, policyholders can consider VHIS flexible plans, but with varying features in these plans, how should one choose?

First, let’s discuss ward types. Generally, hospitalisation insurance in Hong Kong offers plans for standard wards, semi-private rooms, or private rooms. If you are insuring young children, consider semi-private room (or higher) plans, as children often require hospitalisation due to influenza or fever. To reduce the risk of cross-infection, they are likely to be assigned to a semi-private room. Semi-private rooms are more spacious than standard wards, making it more convenient for parents to stay overnight or add an extra bed for accompaniment. Regarding premiums for young children, the difference between standard ward and semi-private room plans is not significant, so many middle-class parents opt for semi-private room plans.

“Full Coverage” VHIS: Annual Compensation Limit Reaches New Heights

In terms of coverage, many parents prefer medical insurance with “full coverage” (commonly referred to as “all-inclusive”), as claims are more assured. “Full coverage” means the insurance company will fully reimburse all eligible medical expenses, subject primarily to the annual and lifetime compensation limits (see Note 2). This differs from traditional “itemised limit” medical insurance, where each coverage item has a specific compensation cap, often creating constraints during claims.

When selecting a “full coverage” plan, the annual compensation limit is worth noting. A high annual limit can cover exorbitant medical costs and future medical inflation, which is especially important for young children with a long life ahead. Currently, among VHIS semi-private room plans, Bupa and HSBC Life offer the highest annual compensation limit, reaching HKD 25 million per year. The following products provide an estimated coverage rate of nearly 100% for multiple illnesses (such as cancer requiring targeted therapy, colonoscopy, anterior cruciate ligament surgery, etc.) (see Note 3), and have been rated 10 out of 10 for medical coverage by 10Life.

Voluntary Health Insurance Flexible Plan	Compensation Limits for Semi-Private Room Plans		10Life
Voluntary Health Insurance Flexible Plan	Annual Compensation Limit	Lifetime Compensation Limit	Medical Coverage Rating (See Note 3)
保柏 · Bupa Hero 非凡自願醫保計劃（智選）	$25,000,000	No Limit	10
滙豐 · 滙豐自願醫保靈活計劃銀級	$25,000,000	No Limit	10
安盛 · AXA 安盛智尊守慧醫療保障 (卓越)	$10,000,000	$40,000,000	10
宏利 · 晉悅自願醫保靈活計劃	$8,000,000	$32,000,000	10
友邦 · AIA自願醫保尊尚計劃	$5,000,000	$20,000,000	10

Family-Friendly Support Hotlines: Extra Peace of Mind for Families

Beyond illness coverage, insurance companies also strive to incorporate family-friendly elements, such as support hotlines, to assist policyholders who are parents. First, health hotlines allow policyholders to contact healthcare professionals by phone. You might wonder why call when you should see a doctor if unwell? However, when you cannot see a doctor immediately after booking an appointment, or if a child falls ill in the middle of the night, a health hotline provides guidance on the next steps, offering much-needed direction to worried parents.

A key feature of VHIS is coverage for psychiatric inpatient treatment. Some insurance companies even offer emotional health hotlines to provide emotional counselling for policyholders. As parents, many understand the challenges of raising children, which can lead to emotional fluctuations. With children learning from home or attending Zoom classes, many parents feel overwhelmed. Positive education emphasises that fostering positive children starts with positive parents; in other words, parents must manage their own emotions to raise their children well. As a mother, I understand that theory is easier said than done. On the parenting journey, having someone to talk to and then moving forward is incredibly important. Thus, parents’ emotional health should not be overlooked.

Among the VHIS plans mentioned in this article, only Bupa Hero offers a 24-hour health hotline to address health-related queries at any time, with a health management team that includes doctor consultants. Additionally, its emotional health hotline is also available 24 hours, providing emotional support and face-to-face counselling services.

Chart 1: Comparison of VHIS: Family-Friendly Coverage Items

Outpatient and Maternity Coverage as Optional Add-Ons

Many parents are concerned about outpatient coverage, especially since young children often have weaker immunity and frequently need to see a doctor. However, medical insurance mainly covers inpatient expenses and generally excludes outpatient coverage, as the likelihood of outpatient visits is high and costly for insurance companies. Among the VHIS plans discussed in this article, Bupa Hero and Manulife Supreme allow policyholders to add outpatient coverage for an additional premium.

Manulife Supreme’s annual premium is approximately HKD 3,000 (for age 0), but policyholders can only consult designated network clinics for a limited number of visits, so consumers may need to check if the network doctors meet their needs. Bupa Hero policyholders can also opt for outpatient coverage, with an annual premium of about HKD 12,000 (for age 0). They can consult both network and non-network doctors, with a maximum annual compensation of HKD 100,000. Bupa’s outpatient network covers general practitioners, specialists, and even emotional health services. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation, where people are reducing outings, its outpatient network recently introduced telemedicine services, with prescribed medications delivered to homes, clearly adapting to the new normal under the pandemic.

Additionally, many couples planning to start a family are concerned about maternity coverage. Similarly, maternity coverage is an optional add-on requiring an additional premium. Among the products mentioned in this article, only Bupa Hero offers optional maternity coverage, with an annual premium of nearly HKD 19,000 and a compensation of HKD 42,000 for caesarean delivery. However, note that maternity coverage comes with a 9-month waiting period, so if you plan to pay a year’s premium and complete this life milestone within a year, timing must be calculated precisely.

When it comes to childbirth, a few insurance companies offer coverage for pregnancy complications. Bupa Hero and Manulife Supreme include this coverage in their basic plans without additional cost.

Exploring VHIS Discounts: Greater Savings with Family Enrolment

Recently, major insurance companies have continued to roll out VHIS flexible plans, aiming to attract policyholders in a challenging market with substantial discount offers. What are the premiums after discounts? Would it be more cost-effective if the whole family enrols together? 10Life will assess different family compositions, including couples, families with one child, and families with two children, to examine the first-year total premiums for new enrolments across these family types (assuming clients choose semi-private room plans with no deductible).

Chart 2: Comparison of VHIS: Discounts for Family Combinations

As shown in the chart above, as of 1 February, many insurance companies are offering VHIS promotions during the tax season, with discounts on first-year premiums. If family members enrol together, Bupa Hero offers more substantial discounts, including both family discounts and welcome offers. Combining these, the first-year premium discount for two people is 54%, and for three or more people, it reaches up to 47%. Of course, first-year premiums are just a short-term benefit. For those planning long-term enrolment, long-term premiums should be considered. Therefore, based on the current premium tables, we have calculated the 10-year total premiums. Whether for two, three, or four-member family combinations, Bupa Hero’s 10-year total premiums remain lower.

VHIS “full coverage” plans come with various deductible options. If you already have group medical insurance through your employer, you can opt for a plan with a deductible to lower the premium. You can explore more VHIS plans using 10Life’s “Product Decoder” for comparisons.

[Compare VHIS Semi-Private Room Plans, 35-Year-Old Male, Deductible HKD 8,000 to 20,000]

[Compare VHIS Semi-Private Room Plans, 35-Year-Old Female, Deductible HKD 8,000 to 20,000]

[Compare VHIS Semi-Private Room Plans, 0-Year-Old Male, Deductible HKD 8,000 to 20,000]

[Compare VHIS Semi-Private Room Plans, 0-Year-Old Female, Deductible HKD 8,000 to 20,000]

[Compare VHIS Semi-Private Room Plans, 35-Year-Old Male, Deductible HKD 20,000 to 40,000]

[Compare VHIS Semi-Private Room Plans, 35-Year-Old Female, Deductible HKD 20,000 to 40,000]

[Compare VHIS Semi-Private Room Plans, 0-Year-Old Male, Deductible HKD 20,000 to 40,000]

[Compare VHIS Semi-Private Room Plans, 0-Year-Old Female, Deductible HKD 20,000 to 40,000]

Notes:

The above information is provided by 10Life for reference only and does not constitute a sales proposal. The information is updated as of 1 February 2021.
“Full coverage” means the insurance company will fully reimburse eligible medical expenses and other costs after deducting any deductible (if applicable), subject to annual coverage limits, lifetime coverage limits, and other relevant conditions. Claims must meet the criteria of “medical necessity,” and expenses must be “reasonable and customary.”
The estimated medical coverage mentioned above is based on 12 common illness cases of varying severity and medical services, using typical medical expenses under general circumstances. 10Life actuaries then compare these against the compensation limits of medical insurance products to calculate the estimated average coverage. For details, refer to “Rating Methodology for Public Medical Insurance.”

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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Family Health Strong Support - Buy Voluntary Health Insurance Together (with Family Discount Overview, Updated January 2021)

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