Author
Bowtie Team
Updated on
2025-06-19
Disclaimer: This article is translated with the assistance of AI.
Company health plans often leave gaps, so savvy professionals top up coverage to dodge medical bill stress. Bowtie Voluntary Health Insurance has been a hit, boasting a 43% sales boost in 2022*.
As we strive for breakthroughs, we’ve discovered that 75% of company medical insurance claims on the market come from general wards 1 , indicating a higher demand for general wards compared to semi-private or private rooms. However, many premium insurance plans on the market only cover semi-private rooms and above, creating a coverage gap between company insurance and Top Up plans, leaving employees stuck with “expensive options” (plans at the semi-private room level are pricier than general ward ones).
That’s why, to offer our clients another “perfect Top Up plan,” Bowtie has introduced Bowtie Pink (Ward) . This way, any working professional can seamlessly Top Up their company medical insurance.
- * Based on internal data, Bowtie experienced a 43% growth in VHIS sales in 2022.
- 1 Data sourced from Hong Kong Federation of Insurers’ Medical Claims Data Survey (Table 2.4)
Avoid Insufficient Company Health Insurance Coverage
According to a 10Life survey, company medical insurance typically only provides adequate coverage for day surgeries, check-ups, or minor illnesses, such as Hemorrhoid Surgery , covering over 80% of the costs. However, for major illnesses like Angioplasty or Cancer Treatment , the reimbursement rate is only 18.4% to 32.4%, leaving you with nearly HK$400,000 in out-of-pocket expenses.
How to Boost Coverage: Top Up with Premium Plans
Employees can’t change the coverage their company provides, so the best way to fill the gaps is to get a personal medical insurance plan to Top Up your company policy. To avoid overlapping with your existing coverage, opt for a premium medical insurance with a deductible – it’s the smart move.
If you’d like to learn more about how to Top Up company medical insurance, check out this article .
Do All Premium Health Insurance Provide Perfect Top Up for Employees?
There aren’t many premium health insurance options on the market that perfectly complement company plans, especially for those only covered for general wards. Bowtie found that over 70% of company insurance hospitalization claims come from general wards 1 , showing greater demand for general wards than semi-private or higher levels. Yet, more than 78% of premium VHIS plans only cover semi-private rooms and above 2 .
| Ward Level | Number of Claims | Proportion | Number of Premium Voluntary Health Insurance Plans Covering Each Ward Type on the Market 2 |
| Private Room | 1,756 | 4% | 8 (21.6%) |
| Semi-Private Room | 9,075 | 20.4% | 21 (56.8%) |
| General Ward | 33,621 | 75.6% | 8 (21.6%) |
| Total | 44,452 | 100% | 37 |
- 1 Data sourced from the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers’ ‘Medical Claims Data Survey’ (Table 2.4)
- 2 According to internal data, over 78% of premium voluntary health insurance plans cover semi-private rooms or higher ward levels.
When company health insurance covers general wards, but premium Health Insurance covers semi-private or private rooms, a ‘coverage gap’ will inevitably occur due to the ward type admitted.
To make it easier for everyone to understand this ‘ coverage gap ‘, we’ve specially designed a hypothetical case to explain it.
Hypothetical Case with Coverage Gap
Suppose 👨🏻 Mr. Chan already has:
- A company health insurance plan that covers a standard ward
- A high-end VHIS plan with a HK$50,000 deductible, covering a semi-private room
If he unfortunately needs hospitalization for Angioplasty and receives treatment in a semi-private room, with costs around HK$320,000.
When processing the claim, Mr. Chan should first apply through his company insurance, then seek compensation from his VHIS plan. In the ideal scenario, the company plan would cover the full HK$50,000 deductible, perfectly offsetting it, while the VHIS plan compensates the remaining HK$270,000.
💥 But of course, this claim won’t go as smoothly as described above!
❓ Reason: The company insurance only covers a standard ward , but Mr. Chan is in a semi-private room . The insurer will apply an “adjustment factor” (which adjusts the claim amount), resulting in a final payout of only 50%, or HK$25,000 .
However, since Mr. Chan chose a plan with a HK$50,000 deductible , his VHIS will only cover up to HK$270,000, meaning he still has to pay HK$25,000 out of pocket—even after topping up the company plan, it won’t achieve full compensation.
^Note: Each insurer’s adjustment factor practices may vary
* Above mentioned hypothetical cases are for reference only and are not actual claim examples; the treatment and claim amounts cited are assumed figures
| 💫 Just imagine, if Mr. Chan had a high-end VHIS plan with a HK$50,000 deductible covering a semi-private room, and the company insurance covered the full HK$50,000, with the remaining HK$270,000 compensated by VHIS, achieving true full compensation 👍🏽. |
Bowtie Pink (Ward): The Perfect Top-Up for Working Adults
To fill the gaps mentioned above, you need a full reimbursement medical insurance that provides coverage for general wards . So, Bowtie has specially launched the Bowtie Pink (Ward) plan, providing clients and Hong Kong working professionals with another “perfect Top Up medical insurance combination” option to get the maximum protection.
- * Full reimbursement means there are no sub-item reimbursement limits and it only applies to specified coverage items. The payable reimbursement is subject to the deductible balance (if applicable), annual coverage limit, lifetime coverage limit, and other restrictions including reasonable and customary charges, pre-existing conditions, specified hospitals in Mainland China, and related matters for treatment in the US, etc. For detailed product terms and conditions, product risks, and exclusions, please refer to the relevant product website and policy.
How to Pick the Perfect Top Up Plan?
To find the “perfect Top Up combination,” you must learn to review your existing policy, first understand the coverage provided by your current company medical insurance, and then decide on the Top Up insurance. Bowtie suggests using the “Room and Board” coverage amount, paired with the Bowtie Pink VHIS plan you need, including room type and deductible.
Room and Board from HK$600 – HK$800 (can be paired with Bowtie Pink Ward)
| Do you have company medical insurance? | Company medical insurance Room and Board coverage amount | Suggested deductible | Monthly premium |
| No | Not applicable | $0 | $644* |
| Yes | Less than $600 | $20,000 | $321^ |
| $600 – $800 | $50,000 | $220 | |
| More than $800 | $80,000 | $197 |
Ward and Meals from HK$1,500 – HK$1,800 (Pair with Bowtie Pink Semi-Private)
| Do you have company medical insurance? | Company medical insurance ward and meals coverage | Suggested out-of-pocket amount | Monthly premium |
| No | Not applicable | $0 | $834* |
| Yes | Less than $1,500 | $20,000 | $440^ |
| $1,500 – $1,800 | $50,000 | $335 | |
| More than $1,800 | $80,000 | $289 |
Ward and Meals from HK$4,300 – HK$5,300 (Pair with Bowtie Pink Private)
| Do you have company medical insurance? | Company medical insurance ward and meals coverage | Suggested out-of-pocket amount | Monthly premium |
| No | Not applicable | $0 | $1,284* |
| Yes | Less than $4,300 | $20,000 | $1,042^ |
| $4,300 – $5,300 | $50,000 | $612 | |
| More than $5,300 | $80,000 | $537 |
- * If your budget is limited, you can consider Bowtie VHIS Flexi Plan, with premiums as low as $236 per month.
- ^ If you’re unsure about your company’s medical insurance coverage, it’s recommended to choose a deductible of HK$20,000 to reduce the amount you have to pay out-of-pocket beyond the coverage.
Bowtie Pink VHIS Plan offers all three room categories, including ward, semi-private room, and private room, helping working professionals mix and match the “perfect Top Up combination” based on their needs—for example, ward with ward, or semi-private with semi-private, and so on.
If you’re not sure about your existing medical insurance coverage, you can choose to insure for your ideal room type and select a HK$20,000 deductible to keep it at a manageable level, without making the premiums too expensive.
Bowtie Pink (Ward): Global Coverage
In the market, there are 8 similar products, and only 3 offer worldwide coverage, while just 2 provide an annual limit of HK$8 million, which is the highest available. The Bowtie Pink (Ward) plan is one of them, and its premiums are 5-10% cheaper than the market average 3 .
- 3 Based on internal data, the Bowtie Pink (Ward) plan premiums are 5-10% cheaper than the market average.
Bowtie Pink Premium Rates Table
|
Bowtie Pink HK$80,000 Deductible Plan (Monthly Premium HK$) |
|||
| Age | Ward | Semi-Private Room | Private Room |
| 20 years old | $161 | $234 | $435 |
| 30 years old | $197 | $289 | $537 |
| 40 years old | $264 | $360 | $600 |
| 50 years old | $397 | $599 | $1,032 |
| 60 years old | $725 | $950 | $1,586 |
- * The premiums calculated above are for reference only. The actual premiums you need to pay are affected by factors such as time, inflation, underwriting, etc., and you must add the levy collected by the Insurance Authority.
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