[Voluntary Health Insurance] Medical inflation should not stand in the way of advanced cancer treatment, allowing patients to focus on fighting the disease.

Many people work from early morning until late at night to give their families a better life, but often neglect their own health, increasing their risk of critical illness. Data shows that the incidence of cancer in Hong Kong has been rising steadily. In 2021, new cancer cases in Hong Kong increased by 12.5% year-on-year, highlighting an issue that cannot be ignored¹.

Moreover, overall healthcare inflation is a growing concern, placing a heavy burden and significant financial pressure on patients. Comprehensive medical protection is therefore all the more important. “AIA自願醫保尊耀計劃 ”², as a certified VHIS plan, reimburses³ major medical expenses in full, with no benefit item sub-limits. It also offers the market’s first⁴ cancer-specific reimbursement for Phase III clinical trial drugs⁵, providing policyholders with a solid safety net, and it is also tax-deductible⁶.
 

Medical expenses in Hong Kong have been rising steadily, and medical inflation is an inevitable trend. From 2012 to 2022, the Consumer Price Index for Medical Services and the Consumer Price Index for Medicines rose by approximately 39%⁷ and 27%⁷ respectively, while private hospital accommodation charges (semi-private room) can reach as high as HK$2,880 to HK$3,800 per day⁸.

To cater to the needs of the insured, the “AIA Voluntary Health Insurance Privilege Ultra Plan” offers full coverage³ for major medical expenses, with no sub-limits, while also providing an annual benefit limit of up to HK$12 million; and a lifetime benefit limit of up to HK$60 million (per person), helping the insured build stronger medical protection.

As everyone’s financial situation is different, and to suit the individual needs and budgets of policyholders, the plan offers four annual deductible options and two coverage options, allowing policyholders to flexibly choose the most suitable product.
 

Among the top three cancers with the highest number of new cases in Hong Kong, including breast cancer and lung cancer, the target therapy cost for a 3-year treatment of breast cancer and lung cancer is approximately HK$1.13 million and HK$1 million respectively⁹, meaning that cancer is a race between the patient and the disease in terms of “financial resources, time and willpower”.

With advances in medical science, advanced cancer treatments continue to evolve, and patients can also manage their condition through more new drugs. However, cancer clinical trial drugs usually take time to be registered before they can be used as new medicines, and applications submitted by doctors with supporting documents for specified patients may also be approved for off-label use. Although they may be effective¹⁰, their high cost makes them unaffordable for many patients, causing them to miss the best time for treatment.

Nevertheless, cancer clinical trial drugs are generally not covered under other flexible plan products of the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme⁴. In the interest of patients’ health, “AIA Voluntary Health Insurance Privilege Plus Plan” provides enhanced cancer protection, featuring the market-first⁴ cover for local and overseas clinical cancer trial drugs, offering “Third Phase Clinical Trial Drug Reimbursement for Specified Cancers in Stage III and Stage IV and Incurable Haematological Malignancies”⁵ of up to HK$500,000 per policy year. In addition, to cater for the needs of elderly persons aged 75 or above, if an insured elderly person unfortunately develops a specified cancer, the annual deductible for medical services arising therefrom will be waived¹¹.
 

A female office worker previously took out AIA’s Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme according to her needs, to make up for the shortfall in her group medical coverage and build a stronger health shield.

Upon entering middle age, she began regularly checking her breasts herself. On one occasion, she discovered a lump and was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer after a doctor’s examination, which came as a devastating shock. Fortunately, throughout the treatment journey that followed, in addition to her attending doctor, the medical specialists providing AIA’s designated service provider’s “Personal Treatment Management and Rehabilitation Management”¹³ also worked together to continuously follow up on her condition and tailor a treatment and rehabilitation plan exclusively for her.

In addition, AIA’s financial planning consultant also helped her apply for the “Cashless Hospitalisation Service”¹⁴. After approval was granted, the insurer paid the medical expenses incurred during her hospital stay directly to the relevant private hospital, sparing her the hassle of settlement and claims procedures. She was therefore able to stay in a semi-private room at a private hospital with peace of mind and receive treatment. She was later discharged successfully, with the total amount of reimbursed medical expenses reaching approximately HK$1.2 million, supporting her in overcoming cancer.

Note:
1.    Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Cancer Online Resource Centre (date of information retrieval: 25 September 2024)
https://www.cancer.gov.hk/tc/hong_kong_cancer/overview_of_cancer_statistics_in_hong_kong.html
2. AIA Voluntary Health Insurance - Glow Care Plan is only applicable in Hong Kong, and can be taken out as a basic plan or as an add-on rider. An AIA Voluntary Health Insurance Standard Plan is also available. For full product information, please refer to aia.com.hk. 
3. Claims are subject to the annual benefit limit and lifetime benefit limit of the policy. Full reimbursement means that there is no benefit sub-limit.     
4.    As of 1 April 2024, compared with the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme - Flexi Plan offered by major insurance companies in Hong Kong.
5.    The prescribed Phase 3 clinical trial drugs must have undergone laboratory testing and received approval from one of the following regulatory authorities for human testing and/or treatment of specified cancers, and may be used for Phase 3 clinical trials:
    United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    European Medicines Agency (EMA)
    National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA)
    Department of Health, Hong Kong
    Health Bureau, Macao
and, at the time it is prescribed to the insured, such Phase 3 clinical trial drug must be in the Phase 3 clinical trial stage, and the relevant research ethics committee in the place where the drug is administered must have approved the Phase 3 clinical trial, and after preliminary review, the committee must have considered that the Phase 3 clinical trial drug is an effective treatment for the specified cancer. For the definitions of specified cancer and Phase 3 clinical trial drug, please refer to the product brochure and policy contract.
6.    Eligible premiums for authorised products under the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme are one of the items that may be claimed as tax deductions for salaries tax and personal assessment purposes, and do not mean a direct deduction from the total tax payable. For details of tax deductions (for example, tax deduction eligibility), please refer to www.vhis.gov.hk and www.ird.gov.hk/chi/faq/vhis_qp.htm, and consult your tax and accounting adviser for tax advice. AIA does not provide any tax advice.
7. Source: Census and Statistics Department - Consumer Price Index (published in February 2023), calculated based on the 2012 Consumer Price Index.
8.    Source: Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital - Room Charges (date of information retrieval: January 2024) (www.hksh-hospital.com/zh-hk/fees-and-charges/accommodation-charges)。   
9.    Assuming a treatment period of 3 years, the treatment costs for breast cancer and lung cancer include diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy, among others. Source: Union Hospital fee schedule (updated on 15 May 2023), Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital fee schedule (updated on 1 August 2023), Hong Kong Breast and Disease Centre, the Cancer Fund, and media reports.
10. Source: Healthcare Thinkers, 26 December 2021, www.healthcarethinkers.com/2021/12/藥物進步助與癌共存/
11. If the policyholder or the insured has become aware, or ought reasonably to have become aware, of the specified cancer within the first 90 days from the policy effective date, this Elderly Cancer Support - Waiver of Deductible will not apply. This waiver of deductible will not apply to policies with an annual deductible option of $0. 
12. The case studies represent only individual situations and are for reference only, and do not represent your own circumstances.
13. Personal treatment management services and/or rehabilitation management are value-added services and may not form part of the coverage. AIA reserves the right to amend or cancel the service without prior notice.
14. “Cashless Hospital Discharge Service” is an administrative arrangement for covered expenses incurred by the insured during hospitalisation, and does not form part of the policy coverage. AIA reserves the right to withdraw this service at any time without prior notice and retains absolute discretion. In some regions, the “Cashless Hospital Discharge Service” applies only to designated individual medical insurance plans and is subject to change from time to time. For details, please refer to the AIA website.

This article is for reference only. The above does not constitute any medical advice, nor does this article constitute any professional advice, views, interpretation, position or opinion of AIA. This article does not constitute any sales recommendation and/or product endorsement. The product information in this document does not contain the full policy terms. For details of the product features, terms and conditions, exclusions and key product risks, please refer to the relevant product brochure and policy contract, or visit the website. If you wish to review a sample insurance contract before taking out insurance, you may obtain one from AIA. Customers should choose suitable products according to their own needs. The above products and coverage are for reference only. Customers should select suitable products based on their own needs and affordability. The above products may be taken out independently according to your own needs, without the need to take out other types of insurance products at the same time.

“AIA”, “友邦” or “友邦香港” refers to the Hong Kong and/or Macau branch of AIA International Limited (a company incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability).

The above information is provided by AIA and is for viewing in Hong Kong only.
 

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.