Guide to Maternity Insurance in Hong Kong

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In this article, you’ll learn all about maternity insurance in Hong Kong. You’ll get an idea of the costs of having a baby here and why pregnancy insurance is so important. You’ll also get a thorough comparison of the top maternity insurance plans recommended by Alea’s team of advisors.

What is maternity insurance?

Maternity insurance is a special insurance benefit that is added to a standard medical plan. In other words, you cannot just buy maternity coverage. It is always bundled with inpatient coverage or inpatient & outpatient coverage. Pregnancy coverage aims at protecting women from the costs associated with childbirth, as well as prenatal and postnatal care.

Pregnancy insurance usually covers:

• Prenatal/postnatal care
• Vaginal delivery
• Medically prescribed C-section
• Elective C-section (not all plans)
• Delivery with complications
• Pain management fees (anesthetist fees + medicine)
• In-hospital pediatrician fees

Some more comprehensive plans may also include:

• Fertility treatments
• Congenital birth deficiency and special care for newborns in case of unexpected problems
• Prenatal vitamins
• Childbirth classes
• Extra midwifery services

Costs of having a baby in Hong Kong

Cost of prenatal and postnatal care

Public sector: Free of charge

If you hold an HKID, prenatal and postnatal care are entirely subsidized in Hong Kong’s public sector. Most of the time, they are directly provided by the Maternal and Child Health Centre.

Private sector: HK$20,000-40,000 in total

Fees are based on your obstetrician’s fees (for example, obstetricians in Kowloon are often less expensive than those based in Central) and whether your pregnancy is high-risk and requires more follow-ups.

Pregnant patients usually have appointments every 4 weeks from 6-32 weeks; every 2 weeks from 32-36 weeks; and every week from 36 weeks until birth. Most doctors do an ultrasound at every appointment and charge for it (unless it is included in the consultation fee). Consultations cost HK$600-2,000 and ultrasounds cost HK$200-950. On top of these consultations, you will be charged for additional testing, such as routine urine and blood tests, OSCAR/Nuchal test, NIFTY, swab, etc.

Reduce costs with the “shared-care” or “half-half” route

It is possible to combine public and private services during your pregnancy, whereby you access some private prenatal services and give birth in a public hospital. But beware that not all private obstetricians accept patients who wish to deliver in a public hospital. This matter should be discussed in advance with your doctor.

That said, some providers in Hong Kong offer specific packages for this so-called half-half route; medical fees are usually HK$20,000-59,000.

Cost of childbirth in Hong Kong

If you have a valid HKID and choose to give birth in a public hospital, it will only be HK$120 per day with a HK$75 one-time administration fee. You can even pay by Octopus card. Most importantly, these nominal costs will also apply in case of childbirth complications.

The private sector is much more expensive. According to research by Healthy Matters, costs for childbirth in Hong Kong (standard room level) vary between HK$70,000 and $100,000 for an uncomplicated vaginal childbirth, and can easily go up to HK$250,000 for an emergency C-section. Uncertainty during childbirth means additional intervention may be needed, making it difficult to predict the total costs, especially in case of serious complications. In the past five years, Alea’s team of maternity insurance experts have seen rare cases of highly complicated childbirths reach the amount of HK$500,000.

Further reading

For a detailed breakdown of the costs for prenatal and postnatal care and delivery, check out Alea’s guide to pregnancy and childbirth costs in Hong Kong.

If you’re looking for a thorough guide to having a baby in Hong Kong, don’t miss The Hong Kong Maternity & Baby Book: The Ultimate Guide from Pre-pregnancy to Baby’s First Year from Healthy Matters.

Should I get maternity insurance in Hong Kong?

Because private medical treatments associated with pregnancy and childbirth are extremely expensive in Hong Kong, it is recommended to get pregnancy insurance.

Protecting yourself with a Hong Kong maternity plan not only minimizes the cost of treatments, but enables you to choose between private services and the public healthcare system, which suffers from long waiting times. Coverage for postnatal treatment also ensures optimal recovery for the mother and the best quality of care for the infant.

Important things to know about maternity insurance in Hong Kong

There is currently no standalone product with maternity-only coverage

Options for maternity coverage are either bundled with an inpatient plan or with an inpatient & outpatient plan.

Maternity coverage has a cap (aka sub-limit)

The cap or sub-limit is applied per year or per pregnancy. Coverage limits vary based on the type of policy purchased. A local policy might cover up to HK$16,000, whereas a premium international plan might cover up to HK$155,000. The most comprehensive maternity plans cover complications of pregnancy up to 100%.

Some policies will also have specific conditions in case of complications during pregnancy, with some doubling the normal limit and others covering all expenses until the overall annual limit is met. As is often the case with insurance in Hong Kong, limits are not standardized, so it’s best to speak with an expert for advice.

Maternity insurance has a waiting period

All "individual" maternity insurance benefits have a "waiting period" of 9 to 18 months, during which you cannot claim maternity-related expenses. The average waiting period is 12 months.

Note: You are free to become pregnant during the waiting period, but you will only be eligible to be reimbursed for pregnancy-related claims incurred after the waiting period has been completed. Some women who become pregnant during the waiting period pay for their prenatal care out-of-pocket and use their pregnancy benefits to cover childbirth and postnatal costs.

Some group health plans don’t have pregnancy waiting periods

Currently, no "individual" maternity insurance plans in Hong Kong waive the waiting period. However, some group health insurance policies offered to employees at larger firms do not impose waiting periods.

Buying insurance when you are pregnant is usually not advised

Generally speaking, purchasing medical insurance when pregnant is not the best option because any costs incurred during pregnancy will not be covered.

That being said, buying maternity coverage when you are pregnant has two advantages:

1. Under specific plans, a woman who is already pregnant can be covered in full for "complications of pregnancy only" – provided that the complication does not arise from a pre-existing condition.
2. Under some plans, the baby can be added to the mother’s existing policy with “medical history disregarded”. This means the baby can be covered for congenital disease and pre-existing conditions at birth – conditions that wouldn’t necessarily be covered if you were to purchase a separate stand-alone child policy.

Comparison of maternity plans in Hong Kong

The information below is provided by Alea’s team of insurance experts from policy guides and product brochures to give you an idea of the different types of maternity benefits available from different insurers. No responsibility is accepted for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. Please contact us directly to get the most up-to-date information.

If there is any particular plan you’d like to know more about, please get in touch with us at hello@alea.care and an Alea advisor will be happy to help!

All amounts in this section are listed in USD.

You can find more detailed information for each plan beneath the table.

Summary of benefits per insurer

April France MyHealth International

• Plan: April France MyHealth International
• Plan type: Offshore, regulated in France
• Waiting period: 12 months

Coverage:

• Routine pregnancy, childbirth in hospital, homebirth, pre-natal classes, diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities, neonatal screening: up to $12,000, increased to $20,000 per pregnancy for surgical delivery
• Complication of pregnancy and childbirth: fully covered
• Medically assisted procreation: pharmacy items, in vitro fertilisation, diagnostic tests and follow-up examinations: Up to $2,500 per attempt

MSH First Expat+

• Plan: MSH First Expat+
• Plan type: Offshore, regulated in France
• Waiting period:
  • Maternity and childbirth: 10 months
  • Fertility treatments: 12 months

Coverage:

• Childbirth, pre and postnatal care required immediately following childbirth, childbirth preparation classes, diagnostic tests for chromosomal disorders, routine care of the newborn within 7 days following birth: up to $13,800
• Childbirth complication: up to $27,600
• Fertility treatment: cost of pharmacy items, laboratory tests, follow-up examinations and fertilization involved in fertility treatment: up to $1,900 per attempt (limited to $7,600 per lifetime)

General exclusions:

• Fetal surgery, i.e. treatment or surgery carried out in the womb before birth, unless it is the result of complications reported during pregnancy
• The cost of gestational surrogacy, namely all treatments directly related to the use of a surrogate mother (gestational surrogacy) whether the Insured member is the surrogate mother or the intended parent
• Termination of pregnancy (unless there is a threat to the health of the mother)
• All devices, operations and treatments for sexual dysfunction (sexual deficiencies such as impotence, regardless of cause) or disorders related to gender (disorders related to sex changes or gender reassignment)
• The cost of infertility treatments (and, in particular, medically assisted reproduction) unless the optional benefit Health+Child (Maternity) was purchased by the Member and/or their Dependents

Notes:

• Treatments due to the following conditions are not covered under this benefit but are covered under Hospitalization:
  • Abnormal growth of cells in the uterus (molar pregnancy),
  • The fetus growing outside the uterus (ectopic pregnancy).

PassportCard Elite

• Plan: PassportCard Elite
• Plan type: Offshore
• Waiting period: 18 months

Coverage:

• Routine maternity and inpatient cover for childbirth: $20,000 per insurance year (subject to a 30% coinsurance)
• Complications of pregnancy and childbirth (In addition to routine maternity and childbirth cover): $30,000 per insurance year (subject to a 30% coinsurance)

General exclusions:

• Medical checks, studies, treatments, consultations and complications relating to sterility, sterilization, sexual dysfunctions, contraception including insertion or removal of contraceptive devices, induced termination of pregnancy, except in the case of an interruption of pregnancy medically necessary and performed in compliance with local legislation

Notes:

• This plan has a 30% coinsurance

HealthCare International Executive

• Plan: HealthCare International Executive
• Plan type: Offshore, regulated in the UK and Germany
• Waiting period: 12 months

Coverage:

• Routine: $17,500 (if applying as the mother), increases to $25,000 (if applying as a couple)
• Complications: $1,000,000

General exclusions:

• Home births and any consequences resulting in treatment of the new-born or mother resulting from a home birth.
• Non-medically necessary termination of pregnancy where there is no danger of life to the mother.
• Costs relating to other conditions arising from pregnancy or childbirth, but which could also develop in people who are not pregnant.
• Infertility

Notes:

• If two parents enroll together, the maternity benefit increases

Vumi Total

• Plan: Vumi Total
• Plan type: Offshore
• Waiting period: 12 months

Coverage:

• Maternity care: up to $20,000
• IVF: up to $10,000 for lifetime, up to $2,500 per attempt and subject to a $25,000 coinsurance
• Maternity/birth complications: policy maximum $5,000,000
• Newborn cover: up to $150,000

General exclusions:

• Any voluntary termination of pregnancy, unless the mother's life might have been in danger.

Bupa Global Elite

• Plan: Bupa Global Elite
• Plan type: Onshore
• Waiting period: 10 months

Coverage:

• Normal delivery: up to $15,000
  • Maternity treatment and childbirth, including: hospital charges, obstetricians and midwives fees for normal childbirth, post-natal care required by the mother immediately following normal childbirth, such as stitches
  • Up to 7 days' routine care for the baby
• Cesarean section: up to $30,000
• Complications: paid in full up to benefit limit ($10,000,000)
  • Treatment which is medically necessary as a direct result of pregnancy and childbirth complications. By complications we mean those conditions which only ever arise as a direct result of pregnancy or childbirth for example pre-eclampsia, threatened miscarriage, gestational diabetes, still birth.

General exclusions:

• Contraception, sterilisation, vasectomy, termination of pregnancy (unless there is a threat to the mother's health), family planning, such as meeting your doctor to discuss becoming pregnant or contraception.
• Infertility treatments are excluded

Notes:

• Treatment for conditions such as hydatiform mole and ectopic pregnancy and other conditions arising from pregnancy or childbirth which could also develop in people who are not pregnant are not covered from the maternity/childbirth benefit but will be covered under your other benefits, for example, outpatient day to day care or inpatient care.

Cigna Global Health

• Plan: Cigna Global Health
• Coverage amount: Onshore
• Waiting period:
  • Childbirth and pre and post-natal care: 12 months
  • Infertility investigations: 24 months

Coverage:

• Routine childbirth: up to $14,000
• Complication from pregnancy or childbirth: up to $28,000
• Pre-and post-natal care: up to $7,000
  • Routine obstetricians’ and midwives’ fees; ultrasounds and examinations; prescribed medicines, drugs and dressings;
  • Routine pre-natal blood tests, Amniocentesis procedure or chorionic villous sampling; and Non-invasive pre-natal testing (NIPT) for high risk individuals;
  • Post-natal care required by the mother immediately following routine childbirth.
• Infertility investigations and treatment: up to $10,000 (maximum of 4 attempts for infertility treatment up to the total limit shown in aggregate, per lifetime of the policy. This benefit is available for beneficiaries up to 41 years old.)

General exclusions:

• Homebirth
• Surrogacy
• Foetal surgery, i.e. treatment or surgery undertaken in the womb before birth, unless this is resulting from complications arising through maternity and shall be subject to the limits detailed in the Complications from Maternity benefit under the International Medical Insurance plan.
• Treatment needed because of, or relating to, male or female birth control, including but not limited to: a) surgical contraception, namely: vasectomy, sterilisation or implants; b) non-surgical contraception, namely: pills or condoms; c) family planning, namely: meeting a doctor to discuss becoming pregnant or contraception.
• Treatment by way of the intentional termination of pregnancy, unless the pregnancy endangers a beneficiary’s life or mental stability.
• Treatment for sexual dysfunction disorders (such as impotence) or other sexual problems regardless of the underlying cause.

Henner Care and Health Prestige

• Plan: Henner Care and Health Prestige
• Plan type: Onshore
• Waiting period: 12 months

Coverage:

• Up to $15,000 per pregnancy for vaginal birth
• Up to $25,000 for emergency C-section
• Up to $3,000 per cycle for IVF

General exclusions:

• Verifications, studies, treatments, consultations and complications related to sterility, sterilization, sexual disorders, contraception including the fitting and removal of contraceptive devices and abortion, except in the case of a medically necessary abortion in accordance with local legislation

AXA Global Elite

• Plan: AXA Global Elite
• Plan type: Offshore
• Waiting period: 12 months

Coverage:

• Maternity care: up to $13,800
• Complications: Paid in full

General exclusions:

• Birth for any child conceived by artificial means or any form of assisted conception including artificial insemination.
• Investigations into and treatment of infertility, contraception, assisted reproduction, sterilisation (or its reversal) or any consequence of any of them or of any treatment for them.
• Treatment of impotence or any consequence of it.

Again, if there is any particular plan you’d like to know more about, please get in touch with us at hello@alea.care and an Alea advisor will be happy to help.