Hong Kong public hospitals under pressure as Consumer Council study reveals scale of patients with private medical insurance being treated under state system
- Private health cover is surging, but survey shows fears over disputed claims and poor coverage mean policy holders seek treatment at public hospitals
- State-funded hospitals already overstretched amid ageing population and increasing demand
More than 40 per cent of Hongkongers were treated in the city’s public hospitals despite having private health insurance because of patients’ concerns over their policies, a consumer watchdog has found.
A Consumer Council survey revealed residents would rather use services provided by the state, which are under heavy strain, than use their medical cover, for fear of being caught up in disputed claims and inadequate benefit coverage.
It has led the watchdog to issue 14 recommendations to better regulate the private industry and relieve pressure on the overloaded public healthcare system, such as providing pre-authorisation services for non-urgent treatments and offering coverage for unknown pre-existing conditions.
The council released the study on Wednesday, which included a telephone survey on 1,000 respondents aged 18 and above and a street survey of 205 consumers, who had made claims within the past 30 months.
The study, conducted between May 2016 and October 2018, also held in-depth interviews with 28 consumers who encountered difficulties with private insurance, as well as a review of relevant complaints received by the council.
