【Elderly Medical Insurance】Can a 60-year-old senior take out a policy? What should they pay attention to when applying?

As the saying goes, "older age, machinery breaks" — as people get older, bodily functions gradually decline and the risk of illness increases substantially. With medical inflation, Hong Kong’s healthcare costs rise year after year; public hospitals have long waiting times and private hospitals are expensive. Without medical insurance, elderly people may face heavy financial pressure that can even affect treatment choices. Many mistakenly think "it's already too late for seniors to buy medical insurance" — strict underwriting requirements and high premiums deter many. In fact, a 60‑year‑old can still purchase suitable medical insurance to prepare for future health needs. This time, 10Life will walk you through the issues surrounding senior medical insurance and the key things to consider when buying a policy.

Health risks increase with age

After turning60, the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease increases significantly, and medical needs also rise. Even if you are currently healthy, you cannot predict whether major illnesses will occur in the future. If long-term treatment or hospitalization is required, the expenses can be considerable.

Long waiting times in public hospitals

There are currently many medical insurance plans on the market specifically designed for people aged 55 to 80, covering cancer, chronic illnesses, hospitalization, surgery, and other protections. Even if you are already around 60 and retired, you still have the opportunity to purchase a suitable medical insurance plan. However, because medical insurance underwriting and eligibility are closely related to health status, insurers may charge additional premiums based on individual circumstances—commonly referred to as a loading—or impose exclusions. Additionally, most medical insurance plans have waiting periods and do not take effect immediately. Therefore, the earlier you plan, the better.

Understanding age limits for coverage

The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) has a maximum entry age of 80. Children can purchase it for elderly parents to ensure they have adequate medical coverage. In addition, as the policyholder, a child can claim a tax deduction of up to HK$8,000 per year to ease the financial burden. If you want to buy medical insurance for your parents, whether online or through an insurance intermediary, you need to prepare the following documents:

• Parents' identity cards
• Parents' medical records, or answer underwriting questions together with them (can be done online or in an interview with an insurance intermediary)

If parents are unable to manage the policy or claims themselves, children can choose to be the policyholder to assist with premium payments, policy management, and claims applications, ensuring parents receive timely protection. 

The maximum entry age for the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme is80 years, and it can be renewed up to100 years, which is relatively suitable for60‑year‑old seniors. However, because VHIS involves considerable professional knowledge, ordinary consumers may find it difficult to analyse on their own. If you want to learn more, you can use the “Product Decoder” to compare coverage and price, orWhatsApp 10Life insurance advisor to inquire for details.

Further reading
【One policy, two generations covered】Want to protect yourself while also safeguarding your children? Can insured children with autism orADHD be covered^#?
【Voluntary Health Insurance (VHIS) tax deduction guide】What is the tax-deduction limit for VHIS? Includes examples of claiming medical insurance tax deductions
【Which VHIS is best2025】Comparing “5‑star” plans — which option is right for middle‑class families?

References:

1. Oriental Daily. Waiting time for public hospital cataract surgery longest exceeds3 years; government says after5 years it can be reduced by10 months
2. Hong Kong Adventist Hospital. Cataract extraction surgery
3. Hong Kong Adventist Hospital.Reference charges for common surgical procedures
4. Senior Community Legal Net. Common exclusions in medical insurance policies

Last updated: 14 April 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.