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Pregnancy & Childbirth in Hong Kong: Options and Costs
Pregnant or planning to be? Your practical guide with expert tips to navigate your options.
Last update:
3rd May 2023
3rd May 2023
Pregnant or planning to be? Your practical guide with expert tips to navigate your options.
Last update: 3rd May 2023
The cost of giving birth in Hong Kong can vary greatly. While giving birth in the public sector is very affordable, private sector medical fees are amongst the highest in the world. Costs also vary tremendously depending on the doctor, hospital and room type.
Advisors at Alea have experienced first-hand pregnancies and deliveries in both the public and private sectors in Hong Kong.
Using their personal experience and expert knowledge, they have created this practical guide to help you budget and navigate your pregnancy and childbirth options.
Costs of antenatal & postnatal care
(1) Public sector
Hong Kong's Department of Health offers special care for mother-to-be and mothers thanks to the Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHC). Those centers can be found all over the city within your Cluster. Click here to find the nearest one. All eligible women (owners of a valid HKID) are allowed to access the services of an MCHC. The centers provide prenatal and postnatal care for free.
(2) Private sector
In Hong Kong, private sector fees are not regulated. Therefore antenatal and postnatal costs vary greatly according to the location and provider. According to Alea's research, prenatal care that is provided by obstetricians ranges between HK$30,000 and HK$60,000 on average, and is very likely to increase if you are having a high-risk pregnancy and require more follow-ups.
➜ EXPERT TIP: Depending on where you are going for your pre/post-natal care, it might be possible to lower the costs by sharing the visits between a private midwife and a private OBGYN. Some providers in Hong Kong have designed packages specifically for this.
Costs of childbirth in Hong Kong
(1) Public sector
There are three types of fees and charges within the public sector.
1 - Eligible persons (HK residents with valid HKID):
-
Inpatient fees: HK$120/day
-
Estimated inpatient fees for a 3 days & 2 nights stay: $360 (room fee) + $75 (admin fee). It is even possible to pay with your Octopus card. These charges include all eventualities whether you have a medication-free birth or a c-section under anesthesia.
2 - Non-eligible persons:
- HK$39,000 (with booking) includes: one antenatal checkup; delivery/delivery care service; and 3 days (2 nights) hospitalization in a public general ward related to the delivery/delivery care service.
- HK$90,000 (no booking) includes: delivery/delivery care service; and 3 days (2 nights) of hospitalization in a public general ward related to the delivery/delivery care service.
3 - Private charges:
- A private route exists within the public sector. Every public hospital has private rooms available, but there are only a few. This means that you may not be able to have access to a private room when the delivery time comes. Private room costs within HA hospitals vary from one hospital to another and are similar to private sector hospitals.
(2) Private sector
The costs of giving birth in the private sector depend on various factors: your obstetrician’s fees, the anesthetist’s fees, vaginal or cesarean birth (emergency or elective), the pediatrician’s fees, and medications. Plus, all of these fees are correlated to your room type. In other words, the more expensive the room, the more expensive all other fees.
All the private hospitals in Hong Kong that offer obstetric care, have maternity packages which generally include room fees, routine prenatal observation, nursing care and newborn immediate care. It is very important to note that these fees do not include the doctors fees and that you must add them yourself to assess totals costs (i.e. obstetrician, anesthetist and pediatrician fees).
When choosing to go private, it is extremely important to anticipate and make sure you have maternity insurance. Otherwise, you may have to pay large sums out-of-pocket. In Hong Kong, a normal childbirth in a private hospital is around HK$100,000 for semi-private room and can easily go up to HK$250,000 for an emergency C-section.
➜ EXPERT TIP: Individual maternity insurance cover have a waiting period during which you cannot claim any maternity-related expenses. These waiting periods are 10 to 12 months on average. Make sure you ask your insurance advisor about the exact pregnancy waiting period and how it applied to your benefits.
Read more about your options for maternity insurance in Hong Kong.
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Maternity packages within private hospitals
Cost variation is linked to the type of room chosen: private room, semi-private room and ward.
➜ EXPERT TIP: Hospital packages exclude doctor fees. Plus, doctor fees in the private sector are correlated to your room type. In other words, the more expensive the room, the more expensive the doctor.
| Private hospitals | Vaginal birth (3days, 2nights) | Planned C-section birth (5days, 4nights) | Emergency C-section | Epidural Analgesia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canossa Hospital | $20,600 - $64,900 | $28,400 - $99,700 | + $6,000 - $12,000 | $7,500 - $10,000 |
| Gleneagles HK Hospital | $19,800 - $42,800 (+ deposit $20,000 - $45,000) | $25,800 - $62,300 (+ deposit $20,000 - $45,000) | + $6,800 - $12,300 | $6,800 |
| Hong Kong Adventist Hospital - Stubbs Road | $19,000 - $40,800 | $32,250 - $93,100 | $31,800 - $71,800 | $7,300 |
| Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Tsuen Wan | $22,800 - $41,000 | $29,000 - $57,600 | $34,800 - $86,400 | $4,500 |
| Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital | $22,300 – $38,600 | $28,800 – $55,200 | + $7,000 - $12,000 | $7,300 |
| Matilda International Hospital | $21,500 - $38,500 | $29,500 - $79,000 | $35,600 - $66,600 | $7,300 |
| Precious Blood Hospital (service suspended from September 1) | $16,000 | $18,000 | – | – |
| St Paul’s Hospital | $18,000 - $51,000 | $23,000 - $50,000 | + $6,000 - $11,000 | $7,000 |
| St Teresa’s Hospital | $18,800 - $38,800 (+ deposit $10,000 - $30,000) | $22,300 - $46,800 (+ deposit $10,000 - $30,000) | – | $6,000 + |
| Union Hospital | $22,000 - $38,000 | $25,500 - $44,800 | $33,100 - $58,200 | $6,000 (First 5 h) ($600/h if over 5h) - $10,500 (First 5h) ($1,050/h if over 5h) |
*Last updated in September 2021. All amounts are in HKD. No responsibility is accepted for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. It is always best to call ahead to make sure the information is still up-to-date. Hospital costs exclude: doctors' fees (obstetrician, pediatrician, anesthesiologist) medicines and laboratory tests costs.
FAQs
How much does giving birth cost in Hong Kong?
Giving birth in a public hospital in Hong Kong is free of charge for HK residents, but if you wish to stay in the hospital before or after labor, a room fee of HK$120/day will be charged.
As for private hospitals, a normal childbirth staying in a semi-private room can cost around HK$100,000, and surge to HK$250,000 should an emergency C-section be required.
Where can I give birth in Hong Kong?
You can either go to one of the public or private hospitals over the territory. However, with the ranging selection of luxury service packages, the childbirth fees at private hospitals can easily shoot up to over HK$200,000. You may want to make sure you are financially prepared before choosing where to deliver your baby.
How to get covered for my pregnancy and childbirth costs?
If you wish to use the private route for your pregnancy, chances are, the costs for both antenatal care and delivery are so expensive that you would need coverage from your maternity insurance. Currently, maternity coverage is only available as an extra benefit of an inpatient / inpatient + outpatient plan on the market. It always comes with a sub-limit of HK$20,000 to HK$155,000 and typically a waiting period.
To find out more about maternity insurance, check out our expert guide.
Save time, money & worries on your insurance. Contact us!
First name*
Last name*
Phone*
Email*
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This article was independently written by Alea and is not sponsored. It is informative only and not intended to be a substitute for professional advice and should never be relied upon for specific advice.
