Month by month health insurance for COVID 19?

[geoheyexpat]

Hi all, if your company laid you off and your health insurance ends 2-3 months before you can leave HK, is there a good month by month health insurance plan you can buy? The firms I called offer only annual plans.

Not sure if my company is willing to extend my health coverage, so I need to know how to insure myself against COVID 19 if they don't.

[MABinPengChau]

Could you make a deal with your former company to pay your portion of the premium? Not sure if the insurance would permit that but would likely be your best and cheapest option.

[mrgoodkat]

Hi all, if your company laid you off and your health insurance ends 2-3 months before you can leave HK, is there a good month by month health insurance plan you can buy? The firms I called offer only annual plans.

Not sure if my company is willing to extend my health coverage, so I need to know how to insure myself against COVID 19 if they don't.

As long as you have a valid HKID you are covered by the government insurance and private hospitals aren't allowed to treat you for the WuFlu anyway.

[aquaman]

another option is to get global healthcare for 1 year

[freeier]

Last few months in HK, and if you really get Covid, i doubt you will get to go to the private hospital that cost money.
Likely they will send you to the public hospital that are mostly cost subsidized..

[geoheyexpat]

Sorry, possibly stupid question: what is the name of this government insurance that I can look into & see how it works? I do have a HKID from my GEP visa

[kimwy66]

As above, you have a HK ID card, you will be able to access the healthcare system at minimal cost, and a private hospital won't help you. Don't support the degradation of public health systems by insurance companies, it just makes them rich and the rest of us poorer in health.

[kimwy66]

Sorry, possibly stupid question: what is the name of this government insurance that I can look into & see how it works? I do have a HKID from my GEP visa

It's all on your HKID, you have a valid visa so you just show your card at admission in a public hospital or clinic. You will be charged a nominal amount.

[traineeinvestor]

Could you make a deal with your former company to pay your portion of the premium? Not sure if the insurance would permit that but would likely be your best and cheapest option.

I've seen this suggested a couple of times and the answer was that it's not possible because the company plan was limited to current employees - once someone ceases to be an employee the company doesn't have the ability to keep you in the plan (at least not without re-negotiating with the insurance company which is, obviously, unrealistic).

[MABinPengChau]

Ah, guess I am used to the US where the law is the company HAS to let you buy into your old plan (usually quite expensive, but your options are usually even worse).

Then a global plan might be the only option...or spend a year traveling! And get travel insurance! Oh wait...nowhere to go...