Seeking Medical Treatment in the North Becomes a Trend: A Comprehensive Comparison of Cross-Border Medical Insurance

The cost of living in Mainland China is lower than in Hong Kong, and many Hong Kong residents enjoy dining, shopping, and having fun there, with some even choosing to relocate. As interactions between the two regions become increasingly frequent, apart from leisure activities, seeking medical treatment in the Mainland, or "heading north for healthcare," is gradually becoming a trend among Hong Kong people. Currently, several insurance companies have established cross-border medical networks, allowing eligible policyholders under medical insurance plans to receive inpatient treatment at designated hospitals in the Mainland, and in some cases, even settle hospital bills without out-of-pocket expenses upon discharge. To address the medical needs of cross-border individuals, some insurance companies have explicitly launched medical insurance plans specifically targeting cross-border healthcare, such as BOCG Insurance's Greater Bay Area Medical Protection Plan, FWD's Beyond Borders Elite Medical Plan, and Prudential's Elite Medical Free Plan. This article will compare the differences between these three products.

Unlike the BOCG Insurance Greater Bay Area Medical Protection Plan, the Prudential and FWD plans listed in Table 1 offer coverage worldwide. However, for the sake of comparability, this comparison focuses on the Greater China plan level.

In terms of coverage limits, the three medical insurance plans are positioned differently. Among them, FWD's Beyond Boundaries Medical Elite plan offers the highest annual coverage limit of up to HKD 18 million, with no lifetime limit, positioning it as a high-end medical insurance product. In contrast, the BOCG Insurance Greater Bay Area Medical Protection Plan has an annual coverage limit of only HKD 1 million and a lifetime limit of HKD 3 million, making it more suitable for individuals looking to establish basic coverage or enhance their existing medical protection.

Additionally, the BOCG Insurance Greater Bay Area Medical Protection Plan can complement mainland China's social security system. The insurance company offers premium discounts to individuals already enrolled in social security. However, if the insured person does not first file a claim with social security, the compensation will be calculated with an adjustment factor of 60%.

Regarding ward levels, although FWD's Beyond Boundaries Medical Elite plan offers the highest coverage limit among the three, if the Elite Protection level (i.e., coverage area limited to Greater China) is selected, the covered ward level for hospitalisation in Hong Kong is only a standard ward. Insured individuals would need to opt for a higher protection level to access semi-private wards. Meanwhile, both the BOCG Insurance Greater Bay Area Medical Protection Plan and Prudential's High-End Medical Freedom Plan cover semi-private wards for hospitalisation in Hong Kong. For hospitalisation in mainland China, all three plans cover the same eligible ward level, which is a standard single room (including eligible wards in special needs or international departments).

Similar to typical medical insurance plans, the three medical insurance products listed in the table above also cover basic items such as hospitalisation, surgery, specified diagnostic imaging tests, kidney dialysis, and cancer treatment. With the trend of cancer affecting younger individuals and the high cost of cancer treatment, some Hong Kong residents opt to purchase anti-cancer drugs in mainland China. As a result, cancer coverage has become a key comparison point for many policyholders.

All three cross-border medical insurance plans mentioned above include cancer coverage, though the extent of coverage varies. For instance, FWD's Beyond Care Medical Elite highlights "enhanced cancer coverage". In addition to coverage for specified non-surgical cancer treatments, it also provides compensation for Phase III clinical trial drugs for specified Stage 3 and Stage 4 cancers, as well as incurable haematological malignancies. It also features a cross-border cancer management programme. Prudential's High-end Medical Freestyle Plan explicitly states that it fully covers eligible expenses for specified non-surgical cancer treatments. Eligible clients can also choose to receive cross-border cancer treatment at the Hong Kong Integrated Oncology Centre and Zhongshan Chen Xinghai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, while benefiting from direct billing services for medical expenses.

Upon closer examination of the coverage scope, it becomes evident that the target audience for each of the three plans differs. For example, Prudential's High-end Medical Freestyle Plan includes treatment for childhood developmental disorders. When an insured person is diagnosed with severe autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), language disorders, or specific learning disabilities, they are eligible for reimbursement of up to 80% of eligible medical expenses. This clause is clearly tailored towards parents.

In terms of coverage for Mainland China, the three plans offer some similar benefits, such as cashless hospital discharge and priority booking at designated hospitals. However, certain benefits are unique to specific products. For instance, only the BOCG Insurance Greater Bay Area Medical Protection Plan provides hospital cash benefits for the Greater Bay Area. Policyholders can choose a suitable plan based on their personal needs, while also noting whether the relevant coverage is an optional add-on benefit that requires an additional premium.

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.