Insurance
Insurance

Reimbursement vs Lump Sum Insurance: What's the Difference?

Author Bowtie Team
Updated on 2025-07-08

 

Disclaimer: This article is translated with the assistance of AI.

Reimbursement and lump sum medical insurance are designed to cover expenses for hospital stays, surgeries, and other medical services. Curious about the two compensation methods? Let’s break down “reimbursement” and “lump sum” to see which suits you best!
~Exclusive Blog Offer~
Sales Up To 65% first year's premium!
Save up on your first year's premium now until Dec 11! (Enjoy extra coverage with our wellness package for just HK$100/month in the first year!)

Reimbursement-Based Medical Insurance

Reimbursement-based medical insurance includes general medical insurance, VHIS , certain accident insurance , and corporate medical insurance. The first three are personal medical plans purchased by individuals for themselves or their families, while the last is provided by companies for employees. Depending on the policy terms and coverage, expenses for outpatient visits, day surgeries , diagnostic tests, and surgical procedures may be covered.

Bowtie Pink Blog Promo!

Tired of sky-high private hospital bills but hesitant about purchasing VHIS? Bowtie Pink provides full coverage*, with long-term premiums are substantially lower than market rates^.

For a limited time, use the exclusive Bowtie Blog promo code【BLOGENGINSURE】to get an impressive 65% in first year’s premium and secure top-tier health protection at an unbeatable price!



*Full coverage shall mean no itemized benefit sub-limits, and applies to designated benefit items only. The benefit payable shall be subject to the remaining deductible (if applicable), annual benefit limit, lifetime benefit limit and other limitations such as reasonable and customary charges, a pre-existing condition, “List of Designated Hospitals in Mainland China” and receiving medical treatment in the United States. For detailed terms and conditions, product risks, and exclusions, please refer to the relevant product website and policy.
^For example, with Bowtie Pink (Ward) and the deductible option HK$80,000, the monthly premium for a 30-year-old non-smoker is HK$197. The premium comparison above is based on similar medical insurance plans with the ward level (data source on 27, July 2023), HK$50,000 to HK$80,000 deductibles, for a 30-year-old non-smoker. Different medical insurance plans have different coverage and benefit limits. For details, please refer to the relevant insurance policy and its terms and conditions.

Lump-Sum Medical Insurance Coverage

Lump-sum medical insurance includes certain accident insurance and critical illness insurance . Depending on the policy terms and coverage, if the insured suffers an injury or death due to an accident, or is diagnosed with a covered critical illness , they will receive a one-time or multiple lump-sum payouts. The payout amount is up to 100% of the insured sum, helping to support the insured and their family during recovery or loss of income due to critical illness.

Bowtie Example: Lump-Sum Critical Illness vs. Reimbursement Medical Insurance

When it comes to claims, there’s a fundamental difference between medical insurance and critical illness insurance. The table below compares Bowtie VHIS and Term CI Multiple Cover as examples:

Bowtie Pink VHIS Bowtie Term CI Early Stage and Multiple Cover
Claim Method Reimbursement-based Up to 5 lump-sum payouts
Payout Amount Based on actual medical items or procedures,

e.g., if daily hospital room charge is $1,000,

Bowtie Pink will reimburse $1,000

Depends on the type of critical illness,

Payouts range from 20% to 100% of coverage ($100,000 to $4,000,000)

The claim principle for medical insurance is reimbursement-based , with payouts made according to the policy’s covered items and limits.

For instance, even if the “annual coverage limit” is $200,000, if the “surgeon’s fee” is $40,000 but the “claim limit” for this item is $30,000, the insured will only receive a maximum of $30,000 for the surgeon’s fee.

Claims for critical illness insurance are always paid as a lump-sum cash amount. The condition for payout is a diagnosis of a specified critical illness, and the lump-sum payment from the insurer has no restrictions on usage.

Bowtie Critical Illness Blog Promo!

If the breadwinner unfortunately get diagnosed with a serious illness, how to avoid having the family’s savings wiped out by medical and daily expenses?

Bowtie Critical Illness Insurance provides a one-time cash payout, allowing you to focus solely on recovery.

Apply the limited-time exclusive promo code 【BLOGENGINSURE】to purchase any Bowtie Critical Illness Insurance and enjoy 25% off premium in the two years!

 

Related Articles

Wedding Insurance Planning: Which Coverage to Prioritize? Wedding Insurance Planning: Which Coverage to Prioritize?
Insurance

Wedding Insurance Planning: Which Coverage to Prioritize?

Is Savings Insurance a Scam: How to Avoid Common Traps? Is Savings Insurance a Scam: How to Avoid Common Traps?
Insurance

Is Savings Insurance a Scam: How to Avoid Common Traps?

Diving Insurance: Does Normal Travel Insurance Cover Diving? Diving Insurance: Does Normal Travel Insurance Cover Diving?
Insurance

Diving Insurance: Does Normal Travel Insurance Cover Diving?

Enter Promo Code [BLOGENGINSURE] when purchasing VHIS on or before 11 Dec to enjoy 65% off first years' premium!
Quote now

Other Topics

Email

General Enquiry
hello@bowtie.com.hk
Media Enquiry
media@bowtie.com.hk
Partnership
partner@bowtie.com.hk

© 2025 Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited. All rights reserved.

Your Browser is outdated. To have a better user experience, please upgrade or change another browsers. OK