5 Essential Health Insurance Benefits for Women

While many ladies enjoy employee health insurance from their work, is it really enough to cover what they need?

In modern society, women manage to juggle multiple roles across their family, workplace and society. Given the complexities of medical needs and products, it is never easy to sort out the right options.

At Alea, we believe every woman deserves the best care for her health and wellbeing. We understand the distinct health needs and concerns of women and are here to guide you through your health insurance choices. In this article, we will share with you some insurance benefits we think every woman should have.

1. Inpatient benefit (hospitalization)

Hong Kong is known for having one of the most expensive private healthcare sectors in the world – the second most expensive globally. Inpatient coverage is the basic benefit of health insurance that must always be subscribed. It covers hospitalizations, surgeries, cancers, and generally involves more serious conditions, injuries and sometimes childbirth which require overnight monitoring in a hospital – all these can amount to great financial costs.

It is important to make sure you are well-covered, ideally starting from a young age to secure a lower premium and avoid the risk of exclusion in the future should any condition arise.

2. Outpatient benefit (doctor visit)

Outpatient care encompasses a wide array of services, from doctor consultations, health check-ups, diagnostic tests, to minor surgeries, many of which are also available outside the hospital setting, provided in clinics or healthcare centers. Outpatient benefits are often used to reimburse GP and doctor specialist consultations.

Many women regularly visit an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) to discuss health concerns, particularly those around reproductive health – from a late menstrual schedule to perimenopause symptoms. Generally, high-end medical plans reimburse your consultation with an OB-GYN in Hong Kong in full without any sub-limit, whereas local plans may have a doctor specialist limit.

Nevertheless, if you prefer traditional Chinese medicine, chiropractic, osteopathy, homeopathy or other alternative therapies, they may or may not be covered, depending on the insurer’s policy.

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3. Preventive health care

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females in Hong Kong, killing over 792 people in the year 2022 alone. Cervical cancer, though ranked eighth in cancer incidence locally, kills 350,000 women every year globally.

Due to differences in biology, women are more susceptible to certain health risks than men. Other than breast and cervical cancers, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, urinary tract infections (UTIs), osteoporosis, etc. also pose major threats to women’s health. The good news is, many of these serious problems are treatable or manageable if detected early. As a rule of thumb, women aged over 20 are recommended to get a mammogram and pap smear every 3 years, those over 40 should get a mammogram every year and a pap smear every 5 years.

In Hong Kong, body checks are only accessible in private clinic settings and body check packages can come in all shapes and sizes. The cost can range from below HK$ 1,000 to over HK$ 10,000. Many hospitals offer health screening packages designed specifically for women to include pap smears, mammograms, breast ultrasounds, etc.

Comprehensive health insurance plans usually cover health checkups under its outpatient coverage, but often along with monetary and time sublimits. For instance, an insurance plan may cover health check-ups for up to US$ 1,000 every 3 years.

4. Maternity benefit

If you plan to have a baby in Hong Kong, chances are, you will come across the dilemma of public versus private services, weighing the merits and drawbacks of both systems. Private hospitals have quality service but cost a fortune while public hospitals are fully subsidized but provide less personalized care with a long waiting time.

Simply put, maternity benefits can be added to a standard inpatient or inpatient + outpatient plan to protect women from childbirth-related costs, complications, as well as prenatal checkups and postnatal care. Some more comprehensive plans may even cover fertility treatments, congenital conditions of the baby, midwife services and more. Maternity benefits minimize the cost for you and open up choices for women to enjoy private services.

5. Mental health

Mental health has never been so important. Evidence suggests that women are more likely than men to experience depression and anxiety in their lifetime. A Global Survey conducted by Ipsos in 2023 points out that women globally experience higher stress levels than men.

Tending to your inner wellbeing is as important as maintaining your physical health, more so in a time of global crisis. In recent years, Alea witnessed a new trend in the insurance industry, where insurers are extending coverage beyond psychiatry, to more common conditions with additional coverage for psychological consultations and counseling.

Contrary to common misconception, health insurance isn’t only for your bad times, but can offer comprehensive protection for you all year round by covering items like regular body checkups, doctor consultations and preventive care. Knowledge is power. Never underestimate the importance of having the right cover. We believe that every woman can safeguard her health by making informed choices that truly suit her age, health condition and life planning.

Need help figuring the right coverage? Talk to our advisor and we can help you navigate your options. You’re in safe hands with Alea, where 80% of our team are women who understand your needs well.