Hong Kong Health Insurance Scheme May Include TCM Hospital

Hong Kong’s voluntary health insurance scheme, launched in 2019 to reduce public healthcare pressure, might soon cover the city’s first Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital.

The Health Bureau has started preparatory work for integrating TCM hospital services into the scheme. Discussions are underway with insurance providers and hospital operators to ensure a smooth process.

The scheme will initially cover outpatient services, with inpatient services expected to follow in the next year.

Currently, around 30 providers offer over 300 insurance options, with policy numbers exceeding 1.2 million in 2023. The scheme also saw HK$2.8 billion (US$358,600) in qualifying premium deductions claimed by 388,000 taxpayers for the 2022-23 fiscal year.