| 10Life

false

Category

Author

Search for Articles

Trending Keywords

The amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance have led to large-scale protests in Hong Kong, triggering numerous clashes between police and civilians, with violent and bloody incidents becoming commonplace. To "stop violence and restore order," the SAR Government invoked the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to introduce the Anti-Mask Law. Online rumours have circulated that the Anti-Mask Law could invalidate insurance policies. Undoubtedly, the implementation of the Anti-Mask Law turns previously lawful actions (such as wearing a mask) into illegal ones, and certain insurance products do not cover losses incurred during participation in illegal activities. However, the Anti-Mask Law itself does not affect the validity of insurance policies. Ultimately, policyholders should be mindful of whether they are engaging in illegal activities and how the government or insurance companies classify conflict-related incidents, as well as whether such circumstances might reduce or even nullify the coverage of their insurance products.

When designing insurance products, insurance companies consider risk factors. Many travel and medical insurance policies list "war," "terrorist attacks," "riots," and similar events as exclusions, as these situations could result in unpredictable mass casualties and lead to extremely high claims. Some believe that insurance does not cover any losses caused by "illegal activities," but this cannot be generalised. Furthermore, whether an individual has committed an offence should be determined by the courts. It is important to note that the terms and conditions of different types of insurance vary, as do their coverage scopes. This article will elaborate on Voluntary Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, and Accident Insurance.

Voluntary Health Insurance

Voluntary Health Insurance is a type of medical insurance that covers the insured’s hospitalisation and certain outpatient surgical expenses. The exclusion clauses of Voluntary Health Insurance do not mention "protests," "demonstrations," "riots," or "terrorist attacks," but they explicitly state that medical expenses arising from "participation in illegal activities" will not be compensated. The terms "participation" and "illegal" are crucial. In Hong Kong, protests and demonstrations are legal. Based on the literal interpretation of the terms, if an insured person is injured and hospitalised during a lawful demonstration, the insurance company should cover the medical expenses.

However, if a protest or demonstration crosses legal boundaries—such as deviating from the approved route or time stated in the Letter of No Objection, proceeding without such a letter, being declared by the police as an "illegal assembly," or being classified by the government as a "riot"—and the insured continues to participate, resulting in medical expenses, the insurance company may refuse to provide compensation.

As for insured individuals who are merely passing by the event location and get injured without participating, even if the protest or demonstration is deemed illegal, since they are not "participating" in the activity, a literal interpretation suggests that the insurance company should still cover the related hospitalisation and medical expenses.

However, if the situation escalates into "seizure of power," "coup," "war," or similar events, then regardless of whether the individual is a participant or a bystander, the insurance company may refuse compensation based on the exclusion clauses.

Life Insurance

Life Insurance primarily provides compensation upon death, leaving little room for dispute. In practice, a common exclusion in life insurance policies is that if the insured commits suicide within one year of policy inception, the insurance company will only refund the premiums paid and will not provide compensation.

Critical Illness Insurance

Common exclusions in Critical Illness Insurance include suicide within 12 months of policy inception, illnesses showing symptoms during the waiting period, and self-inflicted injuries. Coverage under Critical Illness Insurance can apply to severe conditions caused by conflicts, such as blindness, deafness, limb loss, or heart disease, as long as the condition meets the policy’s definition of the illness. In such cases, the insurance company should provide compensation.

Accident Insurance

Accident Insurance is designed to cover medical expenses and disabilities resulting from "accidents." If the incident is not an "unforeseeable and involuntary event," it is difficult to obtain compensation. During peaceful and lawful demonstrations, if participants or passersby are injured, or if citizens encounter unexpected conflicts while out on the streets and get injured, Accident Insurance should cover the losses. However, if violent clashes occur at the scene or the police have not issued a Letter of No Objection for the event, and the insured knowingly heads to the location despite the danger—whether as a passerby or participant—and sustains injuries or disabilities, some insurance companies may deem the incident as foreseeable and refuse compensation.

Certain Accident Insurance policies explicitly list exclusions. For example, AIA’s Personal Accident Insurance 2 excludes "acts that violate or attempt to violate the law, or resistance to arrest." If an originally lawful public activity is later classified as illegal and the insured continues to participate, the insurance company may use this as grounds to refuse compensation.

Below is an overview of the coverage provided by most insurance products in conflict situations. Readers should note that insurance companies may still interpret the wording of policy terms at their discretion. Therefore, whether a specific policy will provide compensation in a particular situation may ultimately depend on the insurance company’s decision.

During these turbulent times, witnessing one shocking scene after another, as Hong Kong residents, we cannot help but feel heartbroken. Living in such a significant era, it may seem as though we can make a difference, yet at times feel powerless. However, starting from the heart, showing more care to family and friends around us, and cherishing life is vital. The author believes in the inherent goodness of humanity. By holding onto our conscience and persevering on this long journey, we will eventually find a way forward.

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

About Author

10Life Editorial Team

Our team of professional content researchers focussing on insurance

About Author

Disclaimer

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

Trending

Is the coverage of life, medical, accident, and critical illness insurance restricted under the emergency law banning face masks?

Trending