4 Expert Tips to Lower Your Healthcare Costs in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places in the world for healthcare in the private sector. Yet it is often the sector expats turn to. Here, our team shares 4 tips to lower your healthcare costs in Hong Kong.

1 - Get "the right" health insurance

Make sure your health insurance fits both your needs and your budget. Most of the time your employer provides health insurance, but in our experience it is often not enough, especially for expats who use private care or travel. You are not always covered abroad (including in your home country), and the sub-limits in the policy are often low to push you toward the public sector. That may not suit you.

In that case, you have several options depending on your budget. You can take out additional private insurance that covers what you need (hospital care, everyday medical care, dental and so on). If you do not have the budget for that, you can choose hospital-only cover. This is very common on the market and can cut your premium considerably. This cover protects you for any planned or emergency hospital stay, as well as for major treatment such as cancer care or an organ transplant.

2 - Your choice of doctor

In Hong Kong, the price of a visit to the same type of specialist can double depending on where the clinic is. Medical fees are much higher in the heart of Hong Kong Island, such as Central or Admiralty. They are much lower in Wan Chai or in Kowloon (Mongkok or Tsim Sha Tsui, for example).

So do not hesitate to look further from the center to lower your healthcare costs.

3 - Your choice of hospital room

In Hong Kong, the hospital room you choose is linked to what your doctor charges. This is quite unusual and often surprises families who move to Hong Kong! For the same treatment in the same hospital, you will not pay the same price in a private room, a semi-private room or a shared ward.

So one effective way to lower the cost of a hospital stay is to accept a semi-private room or the shared ward, which usually has 4 to 6 beds.

This choice can also affect your insurance premium. Some insurers let you choose semi-private room cover. This means that if you are hospitalized, you are covered only for stays in that type of room. In return, you pay a lower premium.

4- Have you thought about medical tourism?

In most international and local insurance plans, dental and optical care, as well as "well-being" care (such as check-ups), are expensive add-ons and are often poorly reimbursed.

Since Hong Kong is a few hours' flight from many destinations in Asia, it can make sense to get this kind of care abroad. Many destinations, including Thailand, offer good-quality dental treatment or health check-ups at a lower cost.

Do your research before you go!