HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 27 June 2023 - Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) is an important policy measure introduced by the Hong Kong government to adjust the balance between public and private healthcare systems.

Its aim is to regulate the quality of existing personal medical insurance and enhance the transparency of insurance products. However, since its launch in 2019, many people still have insufficient knowledge of VHIS. Therefore, VHIS101 hopes to introduce VHIS to everyone in a simple and direct way, while adhering to three editing principles to simplify complex concepts.

Nearly 60% of people don't know enough about VHIS

Since its launch four years ago, many people still have insufficient knowledge of the VHIS.

In a 2022 public opinion survey in Hong Kong, nearly 60% of respondents indicated that they were "not very familiar" with the VHIS program. For example, they could not distinguish between traditional medical insurance and VHIS, or they only knew that VHIS offers tax incentives, but had no understanding of its other standardized protection and features.

On the other hand, an electronic lifestyle information media also conducted a survey on the public's intention to take out VHIS insurance. They found that most of the respondents who held medical insurance did not take out VHIS, and more than 60% of them would not consider switching to or taking out additional VHIS insurance. This reflects that the popularity of the VHIS program is relatively low, possibly due to the public's lack of understanding of VHIS, not knowing that they can switch from existing medical insurance to VHIS, or even how to flexibly combine VHIS with existing medical insurance plans to obtain greater protection.

Online insurance has become a major trend

The same survey conducted by the electronic life information media also revealed that online insurance is becoming more and more popular. 75% of the respondents intend to apply for insurance online. Save time by not having to make an appointment to meet with an insurance broker or intermediary.

Undoubtedly, applying for insurance online has become a major trend in the insurance industry in recent years. With the popularity of the Internet and the improvement of information transparency, more and more policyholders are willing to purchase insurance products through online platforms instead of relying on insurance intermediaries.

The advantage of online insurance applications is that it is convenient, fast, time-saving and labor-saving. The policyholder does not need to make an appointment for an interview or wait for an insurance intermediary to reply. All he needs is an electronic device and an internet connection to complete the insurance application process easily.

In addition, online insurance premiums are usually more affordable than traditional insurance products because policyholders do not need to pay insurance intermediary commissions and other fees. However, online insurance also has some disadvantages. For example, policyholders may not be able to accurately understand insurance products, which makes it difficult to apply for insurance on their own.

Seeing that most Hong Kong citizens still have little understanding of voluntary health insurance, and "disintermediation" has become a major trend, VHIS101 hopes to dismantle common questions about voluntary health insurance and explain common insurance terms for the public through simple and easy-to-understand words, so that Everyone can increase their understanding of voluntary health insurance and have one more choice when purchasing medical insurance.

VHIS101 strictly adheres to the 3 major editorial guidelines

VHIS101 has noticed that when searching for information about Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) online, most websites exist to sell insurance, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish which information is truly objective content.

Therefore, VHIS101 strictly adheres to three editing guidelines, striving to allow consumers to absorb VHIS-related knowledge with peace of mind and without being influenced by irrelevant advertisements.

VHIS101 promises not to display any advertisements on the website, but rather focuses on providing high-quality insurance knowledge and information. We will not allow advertisements to affect our content, so that readers can focus on learning and understanding VHIS-related information.

At the same time, VHIS101 will not sell readers' personal information, nor will we profit from any personal data, ensuring that users can share their questions and opinions with confidence.

VHIS101 hopes to become the insurance knowledge partner of Hong Kong people, dedicated to simplifying complex insurance concepts, making the VHIS's coverage, terms and conditions of VHIS easier to understand. Therefore, the VHIS101 editorial team will introduce various VHIS concepts and knowledge to readers in a light-hearted and humorous manner, making learning more relaxed and fun.

Hashtag: #vhis

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About VHIS101

The VHIS101 editorial team is composed of members with rich insurance knowledge and experience, committed to providing objective and neutral Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) insurance knowledge, allowing readers to make wise insurance decisions based on their own needs.

Read more: VHIS101 is Committed to Address VHIS’s Lack of Understanding