Author Bowtie Team
Updated on 2025-06-19
Disclaimer: This article is translated with the assistance of AI.
As of June 30, 2024, Hong Kong boasts 480 VHIS plans (standard and flexible). With so many options, which stands out? Bowtie shines with no agents, no commissions, and lower premiums—let’s explore why Bowtie VHIS is a top pick through 5 standout benefits!
1. Zero Commission and Lower Premiums
Traditional insurance companies sell insurance through intermediaries, and customers also need to pay them Commission . In contrast, Bowtie is Hong Kong’s first virtual insurance company, with no intermediaries in the sales process. It uses technology and the internet to sell products directly to customers, so you don’t have to pay intermediary commissions, making premiums naturally more affordable!
Additionally, traditional insurance companies have more administrative tasks, so their VHIS premiums might include a lot of administrative cost. With Bowtie, the application and claims process is all done online, so you can skip those admin costs altogether.
Bowtie offers higher coverage at a lower price:
- Over the years, Bowtie has continuously enhanced protection for existing customers
- Bowtie Pink VHIS Series offers great value, the cheapest online in town
- We compared 33 standard plans on the market and found that, regardless of whether the insured is male or female, Bowtie’s Standard Plan has the lowest premiums from ages 0 to 80 , making it the most affordable option
2. Claim Specialists Got You Covered
Bowtie provides dedicated claims specialists for one-on-one support to handle your claims. Whether you’re hospitalized due to illness or need surgery, you won’t have to worry about going it alone when claiming with Bowtie.
In fact, over the past five-plus years, Bowtie has processed over 70K claims cases, with an average approval time of just 4.4 working days and an overall claims approval rate of 99.53% . We’re all about transparency and openness— we regularly share real claims data, and below are some genuine customer claims stories to boost your confidence in Bowtie.
- Real Claims Case 1: Compensating a customer with breast cancer under VHIS and critical illness coverage for a total of $1.78 million
- Real Claims Case 2: Securing $1 million in critical illness compensation for a customer with nasopharyngeal cancer
Plus, Bowtie has created a VHIS Claims Calculator to help you understand coverage levels for different surgical cases. You can choose or upgrade your VHIS policy based on your needs, so you won’t have to worry about inadequate claims payouts.
3. Annual Upgrades, Benefiting Both New and Existing Clients
Bowtie has been established for over 5 years, constantly paying attention to customer needs and keeping up with the times. Traditionally, insurance companies listen to customer opinions and review market trends, then innovate by launching new products or coverage options. However, this approach often overlooks existing customers who have already purchased policies, failing to address the fact that their coverage may become outdated over time.
Unlike other peers, we choose to continuously upgrade and enhance the existing coverage of our VHIS products and other aspects for our clients’ upgrade , with examples of upgraded coverage items in recent years as follows:
| Year | Upgrade Coverage Items |
| 2024 |
|
| 2023 |
|
| 2022 |
|
4. BowtieCash Perfected The VHIS Claims
Bowtie has launched the BowtieCash ‘No-Claims Reward Program’ . For customers with a VHIS policy who have no claims record after 6 months of the policy taking effect, you can earn BowtieCash equivalent to 8% of that month’s premium each month!
The uses of BowtieCash include (1) paying for excess medical expenses when claiming in the future , at a 1:1 exchange rate (1 BowtieCash = HK$1) to cover the shortfall; (2) redeeming specified health services like health checks with BowtieCash , allowing insured persons to understand their health status and seek medical help early if needed.
In fact, from April 2020 to March 2021, BowtieCash increased the overall claim amounts for Bowtie VHIS by up to 6.4% , meaning the additional amount policyholders need to pay decreased by up to 6.4%. Since the Bowtie VHIS Flexi Plan itself has a higher level of coverage, the opportunity to use BowtieCash is naturally less.
Claim Ratios Before and After Using BowtieCash Comparison:
| Bowtie VHIS Standard | Bowtie VHIS Flexi Regular | Bowtie VHIS Flexi Plus | |
| Claim Amount Before Using BowtieCash | 64.3% | 83.0% | 95% |
| Claim Amount After Using BowtieCash | 70.7% (+6.4%) | 88.2% (+5.2%) | 97.6% (+2.6%) |
Indeed, after using BowtieCash, insured persons might not have to pay a single cent when claiming!
Learn more about claim cases right away 👉 Gastroscopy | Colonoscopy
5. Brand New Insurance + Health Package for Full Reimbursement
Want to enjoy full reimbursement of high-end medical coverage at an affordable price? GHK Wellness Package and CUHKMC Wellness Package might just be the solution! Bowtie has partnered with Gleneagles Hospital and CUHK Medical Centre to launch this innovative ‘Med Insurance + Health’ combo as an add-on to the Bowtie VHIS Flexi Plan, setting a new benchmark in Hong Kong.
Any Bowtie VHIS Flexi Plan customer, regardless of age or gender, can enjoy premium medical services for just $200 per month in premiums. Your medical expenses can be fully reimbursed , plus you get extra health perks—choose from free annual check-ups and other health services tailored to your needs.
⭐️ VHIS + Critical Illness Insurance: Why You Need Both
First, it’s key to understand that medical insurance and critical illness insurance serve different purposes:
- Medical insurance: Provides reimbursement on an actual basis for eligible medical expenses
- Critical illness insurance: Offers a lump sum payment if you unfortunately suffer from specified serious illnesses, helping cover living expenses during your time off work so you can focus on treatment and recovery
So, if you end up with a critical illness, medical insurance might cover the bills, but it won’t necessarily handle the bigger picture—like lost income from having to stop working, which could throw your life off track and affect your quality of life.
The good news? Medical insurance and critical illness insurance complement each other perfectly. A solid critical illness policy can step in for that lost income, giving you financial peace of mind, easing the burden on your family, and helping you keep your lifestyle intact.
Even if you can’t buy new insurance after getting sick, the compensation from critical illness insurance can help you continue paying for your existing medical insurance premiums when necessary.
Critical illness insurance is absolutely an important protection; besides medical insurance, its importance cannot be overlooked. In any situation, as long as you have a stable income, you should actively consider purchasing a critical illness policy to give yourself an extra layer of protection.
- 1 Based on Bowtie’s market survey as of July 31, 2023, for similar types (full reimbursement, general ward level, self-payment level) of online VHIS insurance, the Bowtie Pink (Ward) VHIS for non-smokers aged 0 to 80 has relatively lower monthly premiums. Different medical insurance plans have varying coverage scopes and amounts; for details, please refer to the relevant policies and their terms and conditions.
- 2 Age refers to the actual age, not the age at the next birthday. Except for Bowtie, which calculates monthly premiums as annual premiums, other plans display annual premiums directly. Generally, premiums for ages 80 to 99 are only for renewal purposes. The above prices are the standard premiums for the VHIS “Standard Plan” for non-smokers of that age, excluding premiums for additional riders, updated as of January 15, 2024, for reference only. For accurate quotes and product details, please inquire with the respective insurance companies.
- 3 As of March 2024, the average claims processing time for Bowtie is 4.4 working days. Processing time may be affected by the complexity of the actual case, waiting for medical reports, or other supplementary documents.
- 4 As of February 24, 2024, this is the successful claims approval rate for all Bowtie insurance products, including team medical insurance plans.
- 5 The “No Claims Reward Program” is not a cash rebate program; it is designed to allow eligible customers to use rewards to offset any amounts still payable after a claim. The BowtieCash Customer Rewards Program is subject to the promotion terms and conditions; paying claims via BowtieCash is not a legal obligation of Bowtie, and you can refer to the details here. Bowtie reserves the right to change and/or terminate the BowtieCash Customer Rewards Program, program duration, and promotion terms and conditions without prior notice. In case of any disputes, Bowtie has the final decision.
- 6 The above claims ratio (%) is calculated using this formula = (Amount of claims meeting the criteria / Amount of claims applied for) x 100%
- 7 Full reimbursement applies only to specified medical package fees and is subject to the annual coverage limit of the policyholder’s VHIS Flexi Plan. The policyholder must pay directly to Hong Kong Adventist Hospital or CUHK Medical Centre all fees not pre-approved by Bowtie before discharge.
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