VHIS Flexi Plan
Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) aimed at encouraging citizens to choose private medical services by offering government-approved and regulated medical insurance products.
What is VHIS Flexi Plan?
VHIS Flexi Plan is a plan that provides additional coverage options on top of the basic coverage of the Standard Plan. It offers more flexibility for insurance companies to upgrade the coverage, such as increasing the benefit n limit for specific items, broadening the coverage scope, or adding additional medical protection (which may vary depending on different products and insurance companies).
How many VHIS Flexi Plans are there on the Market?
As of August 31, 2022, there were 54 VHIS Flexi Plans available on the market for consumers to choose from.
To be recognized by the Health Bureau in Hong Kong, the design of the VHIS Flexi Plan must provide additional flexible coverage on top of the basic coverage of the Standard Plan. And the additional coverage must comply with the practical guidelines for sales and promotion, handling of insurance applications, and after-sales services.
The plan must be approved by the Health Bureau and regulated by the Insurance Authority under the Insurance Companies Ordinance.
- Guaranteed renewal until the policyholder is 100 years old
- No lifetime benefit limit should be added
- Terms and conditions should be clearly stated to reduce disputes
- Must provide premiums rate by age
- Must provide a reasonable preliminary estimate of compensation
- Cover inpatient and day case procedure
- Cover unknown pre-existing conditions
- Coverage for prescribed diagnostic imaging tests, psychiatric inpatient treatments in local hospitals, and Prescribed non-surgical cancer treatments
- Must not ask the policyholders to share the medical expenses, except for diagnostic imaging tests
- The benefit limit for compensation items must be in line with the market, e.g., the maximum compensation for minor surgeries is HK$5,000
The coverage and benefit limits of VHIS Flexi Plans
The coverage and benefit limits of VHIS Flexi Plans vary among different insurance companies, depending on their market strategies and adjustments.
Taking Bowtie VHIS Flexi Regular/ Plus as examples, every basic coverage item provides higher benefit limits than the Bowtie VHIS Standard, and there is Supplementary Major Medical Benefit (SMM) available.
| VHIS Standard | VHIS Flexi Regular | VHIS Flexi Plus | |
| Suggested Ward Level | Standard | Semi-Private | |
| Annual benefit limit | HK$420k | HK$600k | HK$1,000K |
| Annual Supplementary Major Medical Benefit (SMM) | Not Applicable | HK$120k | HK$220k |
Supplementary Major Medical (SMM) can compensate for outstanding medical expenses exceeding the basic benefit limit of eligible coverage items.
In addition, Bowtie VHIS Flexi Regular/ Plus provides additional coverage items:
- Accident emergency outpatient treatments
- Outpatient kidney dialysis
- Post-Confinement Daily Home Nursing
- Rehabilitative care
- Hospital Companion Bed
- Hospice and Palliative Care Benefit
- Day Case Procedure cash benefit
- Special bonus
- Medical negligence benefit
- Total and permanent incapacity income benefit
Premium comparison for VHIS Flexi Plans
Premiums of every VHIS Flexi Plans are available on the VHIS official website, but it is hard to just compare price as the coverage is so different. So we will compare only the premiums of the two Bowtie’s VHIS Flexi plans for your reference, as they are relatively similar products.
| Flexi Regular | Flexi Plus | |
| 30-year-old non-smoking male | HK$218/month | HK$389/month |
| 30-year-old non-smoking female | HK$319/month | HK$507/month |
Interested in purchasing health insurance? Use the premium calculator below for a quick quotation!
Exclusions for VHIS Flexi
Though most VHIS Flexi Plans are approved by the Health Bureau, but they generally do not cover the following items:
- Treatment for the purpose of cosmetic or plastic surgery
- Preventive treatment and preventive care
- Dental treatment and oral and maxillofacial surgical treatment
- Expenses for some traditional Chinese medicine treatments
- Congenital diseases diagnosed or manifested before the age of 8
- Eligible expenses already compensated by a third-party medical or insurance plan
