Prudential VHIS Series

No, the VHIS plans are underwritten by insurance companies. We (Prudential) offer PRUHealth CoreChoice Medical Plan as a Standard Plan; and PRUHealth VHIS EasyChoice Plan and PRUHealth FlexiChoice Medical Plan and PRUHealth VHIS VIP Plan as a Flexi Plans and these three plans are underwritten by Prudential Hong Kong Limited (“Prudential”).

There is no subsidy from the Hong Kong government to insurance companies for VHIS. However, tax deduction will be offered to encourage more Hong Kong residents to make use of private healthcare services and recalibrate the public-private healthcare balance.

No. We underwrite new applications based on the life assured’s health and other related risk factors. We will decide whether to accept your application on standard terms, accept it with increased premium and/or exclusions, or reject the application.

The high-risk pool proposed in the health reform public consultation in 2014 is not yet established due to diverse views on the public funding. As a result, guaranteed acceptance is not featured in the current VHIS scheme¹.

¹For details, please refer to the press release dated 9 January 2017

The Health Bureau will assign a unique certification number to the certified plans. You may find out our certified plans and the corresponding certification numbers in our VHIS product page. You can also obtain the information on the official VHIS website.

A pre-existing condition is any sickness, disease, injury, physical, mental or medical condition or physiological degradation, including congenital condition, that has existed prior to the effective date of a medical insurance and is commonly excluded from medical insurance. Under the minimum requirement of VHIS plans, partial coverage is provided for unknown pre-existing conditions in the 2nd and 3rd policy year, and full coverage from the 4th year onwards.
For some Flexi Plans, the waiting period for unknown preexisting conditions could be shorter than the minimum requirement. For details, you may refer to the product provisions:

• PRUHealth CoreChoice Medical Plan
• PRUHealth VHIS EasyChoice Plan
• PRUHealth FlexiChoice Medical Plan
• PRUHealth VHIS VIP Plan

Yes, VHIS plans have exclusions. There are two types:

General exclusions – These are listed in the VHIS Certified Plan Policy Template and these exclusions are applicable to all policies of VHIS plans.

Case-based exclusion – During the underwriting, insurance companies are allowed to assess the proposed life assured’s health condition and other related risk factors. Insurance companies may impose an exclusion of a particular sickness or disease from the coverage of VHIS plans based on a pre-existing condition or risk factors affecting the insurability of the proposed life assured.

Prudential's VHIS plans are specially designed for Hong Kong residents who can enjoy the tax deduction offered by the Hong Kong Government. For residents of other places, we have a wide range of medical insurance products that may suit their needs. Please contact your consultant or call our Customer Service Hotline at 2281 1333 for more details.

We will determine the premium rates on a portfolio basis based on several factors, such as our claims and persistency experience, medical price inflation and projected future medical costs and any applicable changes in benefit. The premium rates are not guaranteed and are yearly adjustable.

When we receive your application, we will assess the risk based on the information you give us. This includes (but is not limited to) the proposed life assured’s occupation, their hobbies, where they live, as well as their traveling pattern and health condition. We use this to decide whether to accept your application on standard terms, accept it with increased premiums and/or exclusions or reject it. When we look at the life assured’s occupation, our underwriting decision depends on factors such as what their job involves, where they work and the nature of the business. When we look at where they live, the decision depends on factors such as the location of their home and how long they have lived there.

There are a number of questions in the application form to guide you to provide medical information for the proposed life assured. In order to have a precise decision, an additional questionnaire and/or a medical examination may be required for some cases.

You can add a VHIS certified plan to your existing life insurance policy anytime so that you can enjoy the tax deduction as soon as possible. We will pro-rata your premium for the first policy year but you will enjoy your plan’s coverage in full.

• Contact your consultant or make an appointment.

• Complete the Financial Needs Analysis (FNA) to identify the most suitable plan

• Send us the completed application form and pay your premiums

• We will underwrite* your plan based on your application form and issue your policy.

* When we receive your application, we will assess the risk based on the information you give us. This includes (but is not limited to) the life assured’s occupation, their hobbies, where they live, as well as their traveling pattern and health condition.  We use this to decide whether to accept your application on standard terms, accept it with increased premiums and/or exclusions or reject it.  When we look at the life assured’s occupation, our underwriting decision depends on factors such as what their job involves, where they work and the nature of the business.  When we look at where they live, the decision depends on factors such as the location of their home and how long they have lived there.

Please visit the section "About Migration" for more details.

Yes, like other life insurance plans, you will have a 21-day cooling-off period. You may cancel your VHIS plan within 21 days with full premium refund (including levy).

Once your VHIS plan becomes effective, no additional premium loading and / or case-based exclusion will be imposed even if you have claimed under the plan. This practice is also applicable to other Prudential’s non-VHIS plans.

We have the right to review and adjust the plan’s premium rates for particular risk classes on each policy anniversary, but not for any individual customer. We may adjust premium rates on a portfolio basis because of several factors, such as our claims and persistency experience, medical price inflation, projected future medical costs and any applicable changes in benefit.

If you have any enquiry, suggestion or complaint, please let us know the details by sending us an email, fax or post.

Customer Service Department
Mail: P.O. Box No. 28058, Gloucester Road Post Office, Hong Kong
Fax: +852 2977 1233
Email: service@prudential.com.hk

You may also file your complaint about the issues specific to VHIS including product availability, features of the certified plans and compliance with the relevant code of practice to VHIS Office of Health Bureau; or issues about our general conduct or that of our intermediaries to the Insurance Authority; or any issues concerning claims for tax deduction to Inland Revenue Department.

Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme Office
Mail: Units 2902, Millennium City 6, 392 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Hotline: +852 2529 8900
Fax: +852 2529 8982
Email: vhis_enquiry@healthbureau.gov.hk

Insurance Authority
Mail: 19th Floor, 41 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
Hotline: +852 3899 9983
Fax: +852 3753 3812
Email: complaints@ia.org.hk

Inland Revenue Department
Mail: Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Hotline: +852 187 8088
Fax: +852 2519 9316
Email: taxinfo@ird.gov.hk

Yes. Your hospitalisation in public hospital is covered under the VHIS plans, we will pay according to the provisions and benefit schedule of the plan.

No. Your claim would not be affected. Claimable amount estimate is a value-added service to give you peace of mind before receiving medical treatment.

As a policyowners, you can apply to transfer the ownership of your plan to:

• the life assured if they have reached 18 years of age;

• the parent or guardian of the life assured if they are under 18 years of age

• any person with a familial relationship with the life assured.

   

Below is how you can do so:

1. Complete the Appointment / Change of Policy Holder

2. Sign the form by the existing policyowner(s) and the new policyowner(s)

3. Send us the completed form

We will send you a confirmation letter and issue a new policy schedule to the new policyowner(s) afterward.

Follow the same steps above should you wish to:

• Remove someone as a policyowner

• Appoint or change representatives policyowners

   

Note: If the policy has more than 1 policyowner, all the policyowners should choose one of the policyowners as a “Representative Policyowner”, while the rest are named as “Joint Policyowner(s)”. The Representative Policyowner and Joint Policyowner(s) are all eligible for the tax deduction.

VHIS policyowners will receive a proof of premium payment in April of every year or on other occasions, e.g. change of policyowner. The proof of premium payment contains the transactions of the qualifying VHIS premiums paid for your VHIS plan that you may need for your tax deduction arrangement.

The issuance of this plan does not necessarily mean you are eligible for any tax deduction for the qualifying VHIS premiums you have paid for this plan. For further information on tax deduction under the VHIS, please contact the Inland Revenue Department. We cannot provide you with any tax advice. If you have doubts, you should seek professional advice.

Yes. If you are the policyowner of the VHIS plan of a relative specified in Inland Revenue Ordinance, Cap.112 of the Laws of Hong Kong, you are eligible to claim the tax deduction. Specified relatives include your spouse, children, and your/your spouse’s parents, grandparents and siblings. Please refer to the Inland Revenue Ordinance for the detailed conditions of specified relatives.

‘Existing customers’ of our designated medical plans will be entitled to a one-off migration to transfer their existing medical plan to a VHIS plan within 12 Nov 2022 – 31 Mar 2023. Migrating your plan may require underwriting; it varies by plan. Please contact your consultant or call our Customer Service Hotline at 2281 1333 for more details.

‘Existing customers’ are customers who are HKID cardholders, with their designated medical plan which takes effect

• on or before 1 Jan 2022 for migration to PRUHealth Core Choice Medical Plan or PRUHealth FlexiChoice Medical Plan;
• on or before 30 Jun 2021 for migration to PRUHealth VHIS VIP Plan; and
• in-force at the time of migration

The following medical plans are eligible for migration:

 PRUhealth medical plus

 PRUhealth secure top-up plan

 PRUmed better care plan

 PRUmed care plan

 PRUmed health care plan

 PRUmed lifelong care plan

 PRUmyhealth prestige medical plan

 PRUparent medical care plan

Note: The above plans have to take effect on or before 1 Jan 2022 for migration to PRUHealth Core Choice Medical Plan or PRUHealth FlexiChoice Medical Plan; and on or before 30 Jun 2021 for migration to PRUHealth VHIS VIP Plan. We may underwrite the migration application whether to accept it on standard terms, accept it with premium loading and/or exclusions, or reject it.        

View the leaflet for more details including migration arrangement.

If your existing medical plan takes effect on or before 1 Jan 2022, you can elect to migrate to the following plans:

• PRUHealth Chore Choice Medical Plan, or

• PRUHealth FlexiChoice Medical Plan

If your existing medical plan takes effect on or before 30 Jun 2021, you can elect to migrate to PRUHealth VHIS VIP Plan.

Yes. You can migrate to a VHIS plan anytime during the migration period (12 Nov 2022 – 31 Mar 2023) so that you can enjoy the tax deduction as soon as possible.

You may ask the healthcare services provider and/or the attending registered doctor to give you an estimate of the fees in relation to non-emergency surgical procedures to be performed, so you know how much you may claim for. We will provide the claimable amount estimate and the estimated out-of-pocket expense based on the life assured's (the person covered by the plan) policy coverage. This claimable amount estimate facility is only applicable to VHIS products. The claimable amount estimate is for reference only. The actual amount you can claim and your actual out-of-pocket expense will be subject to the final amount on the invoice from healthcare services provider and in accordance with the policy’s terms and conditions. 

Through your consultant

Submit your request through your Consultant and get the estimated results immediately after the information is input in the system

By yourself

Submit your application via:

• myPrudential, or
• email, or
• post, or
• Customer Service Center

We will let you know the result or status via SMS. You can find more details on the result at myPrudential or thru your consultant.

For more details, please visit our claims and support page.