Hong Kong, arguably one the jewels of Asia, is world renowned as a city that is both extremely affluent and cosmopolitan.  With a large number of multinational corporations making Hong Kong the location of their Asian headquarters, the city’s proximity to China, and the veritable cornucopia of tourist sights (including all the discount markets, and historic locations), it is no wonder that Hong Kong has become one of the world favorite destinations.  In the years immediately following the city’s transfer back to China (1997), there was, justifiably, some concern as to Hong Kong’s future; however with the city bouncing back from the Asian financial crisis, weathering the dual medical emergencies of both SARS and Avian Flu Hong Kong has again resumed its position as the worlds freest economy and one of the major players in the international development of Asia as a whole. As Hong Kong continues its development more and more individuals are choosing to either visit or permanently relocate to the city, and one of the main issues that concerns the ever increasing number of foreign nationals and expatriates who are moving to Hong Kong is the state of the city’s healthcare service.  Hong Kong departed from the UK style National Health Service in 1990 with the creation of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.  The Hong Kong hospital authority, in conjunction with the Department of Health, oversees the management of all public healthcare facilities in the City.    It has been argued, recently that having these two departments working on the same problems (i.e. healthcare oversight) has caused more problems that not.  The Public healthcare system in Hong Kong has been criticized in terms of the quality of service that it is able to provide.  While there are a number of Public hospitals in the city, more often than not, these medical facilities are continually packed with patients.  The large number of individuals who seek treatment at these facilities has lead to increased need for qualified doctors and nurses who, unfortunately, are not being trained fast enough. This has lead to more and more patients choosing to receive their treatment at the city’s many private healthcare facilities.  However, it must be stated that while the private medical facilities in Hong Kong (hospitals such as the Adventist or Matilda) are able to offer treatment options and care levels that are much higher than those found in public hospitals, these medical facilities are much more expensive.

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Hong Kong is notorious for having some of the highest healthcare costs in the world.  The city is ranked, along with Israel, as having the second highest costing healthcare system in the world behind the USA.  This ranking includes both the private and public healthcare facilities and in this case it becomes evident that paying for medical treatment in Hong Kong is not something you would want to do out of pocket.  This situation has only worsened further since the start of 2007.  With an increased number of mainland Chinese opting to use the city’s superior healthcare services the hospitals and clinics around Hong Kong have had an entirely new level of stress placed on them.  Because of this the government of HKSAR is in the process of instituting new price reforms, and some of these have already been put into place.

Due to the large number of mainland (People’s Republic of China) women who are entering the city in order to give birth the Hong Kong Hospital Authority has implemented a blanket price rise for maternity costs around the region.  Since 1997 Hong Kong has seen a huge rise in the number of Chinese women crossing the border from China for one reason; to give birth.  This can be attributed to a number of factors, but the leading reason for this trend is the fact that any child who is born in Hong Kong receives the right of abode in the city and the chance of a much better life than they would have on the mainland.  Every year thousands of Chinese mothers cross the border to give their children the chance of a better life or to avoid the PRC’s strict one child policy. 

In response to this influx of pregnant women the Hong Kong government raised the minimum delivery cost in the city to almost US$ 6000.  It is important to remember that this is the basic cost and does not take into account any anesthetics or “complication of pregnancy” charges.  Obviously this price tag is beyond the means of many mainland families, and even local Hong Kongers, but it extends further than that.  This general increase in maternity costs apply to any woman who has not had pre-natal check ups with a Hong Kong doctor or who have not booked a bed at a local hospital; so rather than just targeting women from mainland China, this cost rise affects any pregnant woman entering the territory. 

As one would expect, many foreign expats living in the city, and even Hong Kong nationals, turn to insurance to help them cope with the high costs associated with quality medical treatment.  In this regard people usually have two options; Local or International health insurance.  While these options may seem, at first glance, remarkably similar they are extremely different.  A local Hong Kong insurance plan will adjust premiums according to the current medical costs in the city, as well as penalizing any claims that an individual makes by increasing the plan’s premium accordingly.  In addition to this local health insurance plans will not work outside of the country in which they were obtained.  In the modern world, where people are prone to more international travel than ever before, this poses a difficult problem, as they can never be guaranteed the coverage that they need while overseas without purchasing an additional travel policy.  Local health insurance policies will also usually have a date whereby they can no longer be renewed, this means that the policyholder is not guaranteed coverage in the future in the event that they contact a serious illness or suffer from a major injury.

International health insurance plans are more versatile in their nature, and while they are not specifically designed with the Hong Kong market in mind they will typically afford a policyholder higher levels of coverage than are usually associated with a local health insurance policy.  International health insurance plans are community rated; this means that premiums are not calculated on an individual basis but rather on the rate of global medical inflation.  By providing plans that are community rated, international health insurance plans are guaranteeing their policyholder that they will always be paying the same premium as everyone else in their age group, regardless of the individuals claims history.  In addition to this international health insurance plans are globally portable, so even if the policyholder relocates away from Hong Kong their coverage will travel with them. 

Hong Kong is an extremely modern and fascinating city; this however does not stop the healthcare service there being extremely broad, complex, and expensive.  In reality all the issues that are currently inherent in the Hong Kong healthcare system are far too varied for a single article and require that large amounts of attention be paid to them.  If you are planning on moving to or visiting Hong Kong, you should consult a professional and understand what options you have in regards to protecting your health and the health of your loved ones. 
 

Pearl of the Orient - A Guide to Relocating Living and Working in Hong Kong - Read The Guide to Relocating Living and Working in Hong Kong - It is common knowledge that Hong Kong is exotic, an excellent business center and that it is the gateway to China's booming economy; what is less known is that the city of Hong Kong is the city whose population has the world's highest IQ per capita and that it is a very civilized and stimulating place to live. This report, in eBook format, provides current insider information on moving to and living in Hong Kong - written by someone who has done exactly that. In the process, he learned what it takes to live and be happy in great city. The author is a British expat who has found happiness in the Orient and believes you will too.