Could Hong Kong add preventive checks to its voluntary health insurance system?

Hong Kong authorities will review the city’s Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme this year and study expanding it to cover some preventive screenings, the acting health minister has said.

Acting Secretary for Health Libby Lee Ha-yun’s remarks on Friday referred to a policy that was introduced by authorities in 2019 to establish standards and improve market transparency for individual indemnity hospital insurance products.

Through the scheme, authorities hoped to enhance the protection level of hospital insurance products and provide the public with an additional choice of using private healthcare services through hospital insurance.

It is also part of measures aimed at relieving the pressure on the public healthcare system in the long run.

At a Legislative Council meeting on Friday, lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan stressed the importance of diagnosing cancer early among the population, urging the government to do more to encourage residents, including young people, to undergo screenings.

A major incentive of the voluntary scheme was that it allowed policyholders to claim tax deductions of up to HK$8,000 (US$1,000) per year of assessment for their premiums, she noted.