OUR PROCESS · METHODOLOGY
Data & Comparison Methodology
Contents
VHISGuide is committed to organising Hong Kong's Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) market data in a way that is clear, comparable, and traceable. This page explains how we collect, verify, and present this data, so that readers (as well as the search and AI systems that cite this site) can understand the source and limitations behind every figure.
1. Data Collection
Our scope covers all certified plans under the Hong Kong Government’s Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, currently comprising approximately 579plans. For each plan, we record its coverage by reading its official plan document directly — that is, the policy terms and benefit schedule filed with the regulator — including each benefit item, premiums, ward class, deductible, area of coverage, and the plan’s version date. Our source is these publicly filed formal documents themselves, not third-party summaries or marketing materials.
The table below shows the difference between “all” and “sellable today”: our analysis corpus covers every certified plan, but some are discontinued (still renewable), so the prominent figures the public sees on this site use the active count — the plans still accepting new applications.
2. Verification & Accuracy
Every figure presented on this site can be traced back to a specific clause in its source document. We do not fill in benefit amounts based on impression or inference; when a plan’s terms are updated, we re-verify against the latest formal document rather than carrying over old records or making our own assumptions. In other words, when you see a benefit limit or deductible on this site, there is an identifiable original clause supporting it. This practice — every figure mapping to a source — is the core of how we maintain accuracy.
3. Premium & Inflation Tracking
Because plans must be filed with the regulator periodically, every premium adjustment leaves a record. We preserve the premiums of each plan’s historical versions and use them to calculate an annualised inflation rate. The calculation takes the earliest recorded premium for that plan as the starting point, measures the change up to today, and converts it into an average annual increase. This way, readers see not only the current premium but also a plan’s historical trend of price increases.
4. Premium Index
The previous section covers the trend of each individual plan; the Premium Index instead combines every VHIS plan in Hong Kong into a single market-wide index, using the same approach government statisticians use for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). As of 2026 Q2, the index stands at 119.1 (base 2019 Q2 = 100) — a cumulative +19.1% over 7 years, or roughly +2.53% a year.
The index uses the same “matched pairs” method as the official CPI: a premium is only ever compared with the same plan at the same age and gender — one plan, one vote — across all 579 tracked plans. It spans 20 age × gender profiles (ages 0–90, male and female), is updated quarterly, and takes 2019 Q2 = 100 as its starting point. Every premium comes from the official VHIS website’s (vhis.gov.hk) published premium tables, so each figure can be traced back to the original document.
New plans are handled carefully: a plan’s launch price is not counted as inflation — it only links into the index once it has a prior period to compare against (its second observation), and from then on contributes its own price change. Plans that have never repriced pass a maturity gate: a plan’s flat 0% only starts counting once it has been on the market for 18 months, so a newly launched plan does not drag the index down with a 0% that merely means “no reprice window yet” — it enters once it matures or first reprices. Of the 579 tracked plans, about 12.8% (74) have never repriced since launch — the market is fairly sticky, and the index rise is driven mainly by the plans that did reprice.
Two special cases are kept in as well: series whose premium structure switched between unisex and male/female pricing (an “axis change”) are included, with each new gender leg matched against its own prior unisex price and flagged accordingly; and USD-priced plans are kept in too, because same-currency price ratios are unaffected by exchange rates (scale-invariant).
Note that the index reflects standard premiums only — it excludes underwriting loadings and discounts, so an individual’s actual premium may differ. The index is for reference only and does not constitute investment or insurance advice. For the full ranking and each insurer’s and plan’s trend, see the Premium Index.
5. Comparison Methodology
Plan documents from different insurers vary in wording and classification, making them difficult to compare directly. To address this, we categorise every benefit into a unified four-part framework: Basic Benefits, Additional Benefits, Cash Benefits, and Event Benefits. Once classified this way, plans from different companies can be set side by side and compared item by item using the same yardstick, without each plan being described on its own terms.
6. Claims Estimator
The Claims Estimator computes the projected reimbursement and out-of-pocket cost for any plan you select. It draws on actual fee references from Hong Kong private hospitals (for example, the fee levels published by individual private hospitals and publicly available industry data on surgical and hospitalisation costs), applies each plan’s own coverage terms — benefit limits, deductibles, reimbursement ratios — and produces a live estimate. Estimates are computed from each plan’s published terms; the formal proposal and policy are issued by the insurer.
7. Data Sources & Updates
This site’s data is updated roughly once a month to keep pace with plans’ latest filed versions. All sources are formal documents that are either public or filed with the regulator, and can be traced and verified. When a new plan is certified, or an existing plan updates its terms, we incorporate it in the next update cycle.
8. Disclosure
This site is operated by a licensed insurance intermediary (Insurance Authority licence no. JF4352, representing FWD Life). At the same time, the data and comparisons on this site cover all insurers in the market: every plan is recorded by reading its own formal documents, and all companies are compared side by side under the same framework. The decision of which plan to buy, and through which intermediary to apply, rests with the reader.
9. Limitations & Disclaimer
The estimates this site computes — premiums, reimbursement, inflation curves — are derived line-by-line from publicly verifiable plan documents and let you compare plans on the same yardstick. Actual premiums are issued by the insurer’s formal proposal and policy; actual claims are determined by the insurer. Non-guaranteed figures depend on the insurer’s future performance. The content here is for comparison and information; it is not individual insurance or financial advice — for plan-specific questions, contact this site’s licensed intermediary or one of your own choosing.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where does VHISGuide's data come from?
- It comes from the official plan documents that each Voluntary Health Insurance plan files with the regulator. We read each policy's terms and benefit schedule one by one, recording the benefit items, premiums, ward class, deductible, area of coverage, and more — not citing third-party summaries.
- How do you ensure the benefit figures are accurate?
- Every figure on this site can be traced back to a specific clause in its source document. We do not fill in figures based on impression; when a plan is updated, we re-verify against the latest formal document rather than carrying over old records or making our own assumptions.
- Is this website independent?
- This site is operated by a licensed insurance intermediary, and that intermediary represents FWD Life. That said, the site's data covers all insurers in the market — every plan is recorded according to its own formal documents and compared side by side under the same framework, without favouring any one company. Which plan to buy and through whom to apply is for the reader to decide.
- Do you give plans a score?
- No. We do not assign any proprietary score or ranking to plans. Our approach is to organise each plan's data clearly and present it side by side, letting readers compare and judge according to their own needs.
- How often is the data updated?
- Roughly once a month, to keep pace with plans' latest filed versions. When a new plan is certified or an existing plan updates its terms, it is incorporated in the next update cycle.
- How does the Claims Estimator work?
- It draws on actual fee references from Hong Kong private hospitals, applies each plan's coverage terms (benefit limits, deductibles, reimbursement ratios), and produces a live estimate of the reimbursement and out-of-pocket amount. Estimates are computed from each plan's published terms; the formal proposal and policy are issued by the insurer.
- Why can different plans be compared side by side?
- Because we take the benefit items that different companies word differently and categorise them under a unified four-part framework — Basic Benefits, Additional Benefits, Cash Benefits, and Event Benefits. Once classified this way, plans from different companies can be compared item by item using the same yardstick.
- Which plans does this site cover?
- Our scope is all certified plans under the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, currently comprising approximately 579 plans, some of which are still open to new applications. Each plan is recorded after reading its official documents one by one.
- Can the information on this site be treated as advice to take out a policy?
- No. The content of this site is intended to provide information for comparison and reference, and does not constitute insurance, financial, or any professional advice. Before taking out a policy, please refer to the plan's formal documents and consult a licensed professional according to your individual needs.