AXA Global vs Now Health International in Hong Kong (2026): Benefits & premium comparisons
Choose AXA Global Healthcare if you prefer multi-currency plan options, higher top-tier limits up to $8,000,000, and built-in outpatient allowances on mid tiers. Choose Now Health International if you want full refund doctor consultations from the Advance tier upward, high base annual limits, and a published 12-month maternity waiting period.
Reviewed by a licensed advisor
This comparison reviews AXA Global Healthcare and Now Health International health plans for individuals and families in Hong Kong. AXA Global Healthcare offers five plan tiers: Foundation, Standard, Comprehensive, Prestige, and Prestige Plus. Now Health International offers four WorldCare plan tiers: WorldCare Essential, WorldCare Advance, WorldCare Excel, and WorldCare Apex. Both insurers provide private medical options to help you choose the best expat health insurance in Hong Kong 2026.
AXA Global Healthcare vs Now Health International at a glance
Feature | AXA Global Healthcare | Now Health International |
Insurer | AXA Global Healthcare (UK, EU, or Hong Kong Limited) | Best Doctors Insurance Limited (issued by Now Health International Limited) |
Plans | Foundation, Standard, Comprehensive, Prestige, Prestige Plus | WorldCare Essential, WorldCare Advance, WorldCare Excel, WorldCare Apex |
Annual limits | USD 400,000 to USD 8,000,000 (£250,000 to £5,000,000) | USD 3,000,000 to USD 4,500,000 (EUR 2.4m to EUR 3.6m) |
Area of cover | Worldwide including USA or Worldwide excluding USA | Worldwide Excluding USA (USA elective optional up to USD 1,500,000) |
Hospital room | Inpatient hospital accommodation covered | Hospital charges full refund across all plans |
Deductibles | Optional excess: USD 160 to USD 3,200 (up to USD 16,000 on Standard) | Standard Nil; optional USD 1,000 to USD 15,000 |
Coinsurance / Cost share | Coinsurance on selected dental and wellness care | Optional 10% or 20% outpatient coinsurance; optional excess USD 15 or USD 25 |
Outpatient | Optional on Foundation/Standard; built into higher tiers | Full refund on Advance, Excel, Apex; pre/post hospital on Essential |
Maternity | Prestige (USD 16,000) and Prestige Plus (USD 19,200); moratorium applies | Apex only (USD 17,500); 12 months waiting period |
Dental | Accidental on all; non-routine on higher tiers; routine upgrade available | Built into Excel and Apex; 9 months waiting period |
Evacuation | Evacuation and repatriation service included on all plans | Full refund across all plans |
Pre-existing conditions | Pre-existing conditions excluded; chronic care on higher tiers | Excluded unless agreed in writing; chronic covered on Advance upwards |
Outpatient care: Packaged combined allowances with AXA Global Healthcare vs full refund consultations with Now Health International
AXA Global Healthcare and Now Health International manage outpatient doctor consultations, therapies, and prescribed drugs through distinct frameworks.
Plan Tier | Outpatient Limit | Doctor Visits | Prescribed Drugs |
AXA Plans | |||
Foundation / Standard | Optional USD 1,600 or USD 4,000 | Covered up to upgrade limit | Up to USD 160 |
Comprehensive | USD 5,600 (£3,500) combined limit | Covered within combined limit | Up to USD 800 (£500) |
Prestige | USD 16,000 (£10,000) combined limit | Covered within combined limit | Up to USD 1,200 (£750) |
Prestige Plus | Paid in full (sub-limits apply) | Paid in full | Paid in full |
Now Health Plans | |||
Essential | Pre/post hospital only (USD 2,000) | Pre/post hospital only | Included in hospital claim |
Advance | Up to plan limit (USD 3,500,000) | Full refund | Included in outpatient care |
Excel | Up to plan limit (USD 4,000,000) | Full refund | Included in outpatient care |
Apex | Up to plan limit (USD 4,500,000) | Full refund | Included in outpatient care |
Alea broker commentary on outpatient care
AXA Global Healthcare advantages: Higher tiers include outpatient care without extra riders, and diagnostic scans are covered across all tiers.
AXA Global Healthcare disadvantages: Foundation and Standard exclude clinic visits unless upgraded, and Comprehensive caps prescribed drugs at USD 800 per year.Now Health International advantages: Advance, Excel, and Apex cover doctor consultations with a full refund up to the plan limit, and physiotherapy on Excel and Apex has no session caps.
Now Health International disadvantages: Essential restricts outpatient care to pre and post hospital consultations unless an optional rider is purchased.
Maternity: High-tier package inclusion with AXA Global Healthcare vs 12-month wait on Apex with Now Health International
Maternity benefit frameworks and waiting periods separate the two insurers in Hong Kong.
Maternity Feature | AXA Global Healthcare | Now Health International |
Eligible plans | Prestige and Prestige Plus | Apex only |
Waiting period | Moratorium applies, details not shown | 12 months |
Routine delivery limit | Prestige: USD 16,000; Prestige Plus: USD 19,200 | Apex: USD 17,500 (EUR 14,000) |
Complicated delivery limit | Included within core hospital benefits | Included in routine limit; conditions full refund |
Fertility treatment | not shown in AXA's documents | Excluded (reproductive medicine not covered) |
Newborn care | Covered under core hospital rules | Essential/Advance: USD 100,000; Excel: USD 125,000; Apex: USD 150,000 |
Alea broker commentary on maternity cover
AXA Global Healthcare advantages: Delivery limits on Prestige (USD 16,000) and Prestige Plus (USD 19,200) provide substantial allowances for private hospital childbirth.
AXA Global Healthcare disadvantages: Lower tiers exclude routine maternity care completely, requiring applicants to purchase top-tier plans.
Now Health International advantages: The 12-month waiting period on Apex provides a clear timeline, and pregnancy medical conditions receive a full refund across all plans.
Now Health International disadvantages: Routine maternity is restricted to the top Apex tier only, and assisted fertility treatment is excluded.
Annual limits: AXA Global Healthcare vs Now Health International
Annual overall maximums shape your financial protection in Hong Kong private hospitals. Reviewing these limits helps clarify how much do private hospitals charge in Hong Kong.
Plan Tier | AXA Global Healthcare Annual Limit | Plan Tier | Now Health International Annual Limit |
Foundation | USD 400,000 (£250,000) | Essential | USD 3,000,000 (EUR 2,400,000) |
Standard | USD 1,600,000 (£1,000,000) | Advance | USD 3,500,000 (EUR 2,800,000) |
Comprehensive | USD 2,400,000 (£1,500,000) | Excel | USD 4,000,000 (EUR 3,200,000) |
Prestige | USD 3,200,000 (£2,000,000) | Apex | USD 4,500,000 (EUR 3,600,000) |
Prestige Plus | USD 8,000,000 (£5,000,000) | - | - |
Alea broker commentary on annual limits
AXA Global Healthcare advantages: Prestige Plus provides a high annual ceiling of USD 8,000,000 (£5,000,000), which exceeds Now Health's highest plan limit.
AXA Global Healthcare disadvantages: Foundation has a low annual cap of USD 400,000, and Standard provides USD 1,600,000.
Now Health International advantages: Entry-level Essential starts with a high annual limit of USD 3,000,000, providing substantial hospital protection on lower tiers.
Now Health International disadvantages: The top Apex plan caps overall coverage at USD 4,500,000, with no higher tier available.
Deductible and excess mechanics: Annual plan excess with AXA Global Healthcare vs dual excess with Now Health International
Both insurers allow you to lower your health insurance cost with deductibles and coinsurance, but their excess mechanics operate differently.
Deductible Feature | AXA Global Healthcare | Now Health International |
Standard excess / deductible | Nil (no excess selected) | Nil across all plans |
Core deductible options | USD 160, USD 400, USD 800, USD 1,600, USD 3,200 | USD 1,000, USD 2,500, USD 5,000, USD 10,000, USD 15,000 |
High deductible options | USD 8,000 and USD 16,000 on Standard (no outpatient) | None published |
Outpatient excess per visit | Same annual excess applies per person | Optional USD 15 or USD 25 per visit (Advance, Excel, Apex) |
Coinsurance options | Benefit-specific coinsurance on dental/wellness | Optional 10% or 20% on outpatient treatments |
Deductible linking rules | Excess applies per person per year | Selecting a deductible requires selecting outpatient excess/coinsurance |
Alea broker commentary on deductibles
AXA Global Healthcare advantages: Multi-currency excess options start as low as USD 160 (£100), and high excess levels on Standard reach USD 16,000 for top-up coverage.
AXA Global Healthcare disadvantages: Excess applies across all covered claims per person per year without an out of pocket maximum cap.
Now Health International advantages: Starting with a standard Nil deductible provides straightforward coverage, and per-visit excess options of USD 15 or USD 25 keep routine outpatient claims simple.
Now Health International disadvantages: If you select an inpatient deductible on Advance, Excel, or Apex, you are required to accept an outpatient coinsurance or per-visit excess.
Which one to choose
Choose AXA Global Healthcare Prestige Plus if you want high annual limits of USD 8,000,000 (£5,000,000), paid in full outpatient care, and international medical evacuation built in.
Choose Now Health WorldCare Apex if you want high core coverage of USD 4,500,000, full refund outpatient consultations, and a 12-month maternity waiting period.
Choose AXA Global Healthcare Comprehensive if you want a balanced mid-tier plan with built-in outpatient consultations, chronic care monitoring, and worldwide emergency evacuation.
Choose Now Health WorldCare Advance if you want all-round inpatient and outpatient medical protection starting with a standard Nil deductible.
Questions to ask before you buy
Do you prefer a plan that covers outpatient doctor visits with a full refund, or are you comfortable with combined outpatient allowance caps?
Are you planning a pregnancy in Hong Kong that requires maternity delivery coverage within the next 12 to 18 months?
Do you require multi-currency policy limits denominated in British Pounds, Euros, or US Dollars?
Would you prefer an annual plan excess or a policy that links inpatient deductibles to outpatient coinsurance?
What level of annual hospital ceiling do you require for private healthcare in Hong Kong?
Alea's view
The choice between AXA Global Healthcare and Now Health International centers on policy packaging versus outpatient reimbursement depth. AXA Global Healthcare functions as a packaged international insurer, offering emergency medical evacuation on all plans, building outpatient consultations into mid-tier plans, and providing multi-currency limits up to USD 8,000,000. Now Health International delivers comprehensive packages with full refund doctor visits from the Advance tier upward, higher base annual limits starting at USD 3,000,000, and a published 12-month maternity waiting period on Apex. If you seek high overall limits with multi-currency flexibility, AXA is a strong option. If you want full refund outpatient care and high entry hospital limits, Now Health is a compelling choice.
How we compared them
We compared these products using official plan rules and benefit schedules: Global Health Plan Individual Combined Summary of Benefits.pdf (October 2025 edition) and bn-worldcare-individuals-brochure.pdf (July 2019 edition).
Alea is a licensed insurance broker in Hong Kong and compares more than 50 insurers, including AXA Global Healthcare and Now Health International. We are paid by commission from the insurer, and your premium is the same whether you buy through us or directly. No insurer represents more than 20% of our revenue.
Contact us to compare both insurers for your age and needs.
Written by
Shannon Kapoor
Head of Customer Care & Insurance Specialist
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