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R.I.P - Fired Filipina cancer patient exposes plight of HK’s foreign maids

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  1. #11

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    5,044
    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    I believe that the employer has the legal obligation to provide medical coverage for the helper. That's why there is a huge market for domestic helper medical coverage here.

    Would you be fine with the idea of coming down with cancer, so your employer fires you and says "it's not my problem, go ask the French government for help"


    Q5.1 Should I pay for the medical expenses incurred by my helper when he/she
    is ill or injured?
    A Yes. When your helper is ill or injured, you shall provide free medical treatment
    to him/her whether or not it is attributable to his/her employment. Free
    medical treatment includes medical consultation, maintenance in hospital and
    emergency dental treatment. In this connection, you are strongly advised to
    take out an insurance policy with full medical and hospitalization coverage
    for the helper. You may also consider taking out a comprehensive insurance
    policy which provides medical and hospitalization coverage and satisfies the
    requirement under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance at the same time.
    Unfortunately, helper medical doesn't include cancer. You need to add it. We have an older helper and have bought "The Serious Disease Extension" the last few years.

    https://www.hl-insurance.com/hlia/we...title=coverage

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    1,492
    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    I believe that the employer has the legal obligation to provide medical coverage for the helper. That's why there is a huge market for domestic helper medical coverage here.

    Would you be fine with the idea of coming down with cancer, so your employer fires you?


    Q5.1 Should I pay for the medical expenses incurred by my helper when he/she
    is ill or injured?
    A Yes. When your helper is ill or injured, you shall provide free medical treatment
    to him/her whether or not it is attributable to his/her employment. Free
    medical treatment includes medical consultation, maintenance in hospital and
    emergency dental treatment. In this connection, you are strongly advised to
    take out an insurance policy with full medical and hospitalization coverage
    for the helper. You may also consider taking out a comprehensive insurance
    policy which provides medical and hospitalization coverage and satisfies the
    requirement under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance at the same time.
    Yes I am, this is exactly what would happen to me. The difference is that I can get medical care in my home country as well as in HK and I can afford care.

    I agree with the employer having adequate medical coverage but where does she stay if she can't perform her duties and isn't in the hospital? I don't think it's reasonable for an employer to personally care for an employee and not be able to hire another DH to do the work. If she is able to reasonably discharge her duty while getting treatment with just regular hospital visits then it's absolutely very wrong to fire her but if she's not then she should be with her family, that is what makes the most sense in my opinion.
    hin23leung likes this.

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Taiwan and HK
    Posts
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    So helpers are NOT in the public health scheme in HK, just the insurance that the employer buys? Trying to figure this out...other countries (e.g., Taiwan) employer pays for the helper to join the national health scheme...


  4. #14

    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    6,452
    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    So helpers are NOT in the public health scheme in HK, just the insurance that the employer buys? Trying to figure this out...other countries (e.g., Taiwan) employer pays for the helper to join the national health scheme...
    I think everyone having a valid HKID is covered by the public healthcare system, but there are still charges of $120 per day according to the Hospital Authority website. I just checked the policy for our helper and it pays max $300 per day subject to a limit of $80,000 per year. The policy only excludes child birth, suicide, AIDS, drug abuse and pre-existing conditions.
    MABinPengChau likes this.

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    4,188
    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    So helpers are NOT in the public health scheme in HK, just the insurance that the employer buys? Trying to figure this out...other countries (e.g., Taiwan) employer pays for the helper to join the national health scheme...
    They are able to use the public system as long as they are employed.

    There are still costs for care in the public system, cancer care is not free.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    11,884
    Quote Originally Posted by rani:
    Unfortunately, helper medical doesn't include cancer. You need to add it. We have an older helper and have bought "The Serious Disease Extension" the last few years.

    https://www.hl-insurance.com/hlia/we...title=coverage
    That's true, it's an option. But it's there.

    I do not believe that the employer being too cheap to take out insurance absolves them of a legal responsibility, however.
    MABinPengChau and Stu79 like this.

  7. #17

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    Dec 2002
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    Hong Kong
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    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    So helpers are NOT in the public health scheme in HK, just the insurance that the employer buys? Trying to figure this out...other countries (e.g., Taiwan) employer pays for the helper to join the national health scheme...
    Sometimes the drugs are not free at public hospital. Chemotherapy drugs can cost up to $3000/session

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Taiwan and HK
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    Quote Originally Posted by merchantms:
    They are able to use the public system as long as they are employed.

    There are still costs for care in the public system, cancer care is not free.
    So they still can get treated for cancer, while employed, or not? Because apparently that is a policy add-on? Or just the deductable/co-pay amount is an add-on...

    Sorry, not coming from a country with public healthcare, the mix of public and private is always confusing to me. I don't even really understand my own health insurance that I have never used in HK...

  9. #19

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Manchester, UK
    Posts
    7,789
    Quote Originally Posted by MABinPengChau:
    So they still can get treated for cancer, while employed, or not? Because apparently that is a policy add-on? Or just the deductable/co-pay amount is an add-on...

    Sorry, not coming from a country with public healthcare, the mix of public and private is always confusing to me. I don't even really understand my own health insurance that I have never used in HK...
    While employed they can still get treated in the public health system as their HKID is still valid, it may not all be free but still a heck of a lot cheaper than private.
    MABinPengChau likes this.

  10. #20

    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    3,988
    Quote Originally Posted by rani:
    Sometimes the drugs are not free at public hospital. Chemotherapy drugs can cost up to $3000/session
    sadly very true, particularly chemo drugs, certain but very necessary drugs are excluded from the HA list, so patients have to buy (and pay first) and not cheap, can be 70k per injection.

    until you or your family experienced HA, most people are blissfully unaware of the state of HA......
    TheBrit, Fei88, shri and 3 others like this.

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