Medical cover / CX

[fly123456]

Hello guys/gals,

Just got the job offer with CX.
But have been told during the interview that medical care provided by the company doesn't include dental or pregnancy cover.

Is it possible to subscribe to an extra medical cover, just for dental + pregnancy? Any suggestion about the insurance company? (or any possibility to pay extra money to the one CX chose?)

+ what happens at retirement? Do you need to find another one and start all over again? (I mean new medical test + possibility to be excluded from any medical cover? Or so much expensive monthly fees you cannot afford it anymore?)


Thank you for your time and advices.

[Numero Crunchero]

For anyone that joined since Jun97, there are limits on medical coverage for dependants. The spouse of someone I know had an emergency operation here in HKG and the guy was given a bill for $80,000HK as that is how much the operation was above the limit. So he and many others are also insuring using companies like BUPA - I think it costs around $3-4,000 a month and I am not sure of the maternity coverage. I suspect there are waiting periods for coverage. Not sure about dental though!

[hongkongfooey]

Not much help Fly, but I can tell you Medical cover is not like where I'm from ( Oz ).
12 mths is the min you can take out, its relatively cheap, til you start talking clinical ( visit a GP ) and dental oh and maternity.
I got a few quotes on cover that included very minimal dental ( like one visit a year ) and clinic, around 4500-5500HKD.
Thats another little trick when you chose a place to live eg Tung Chung, a visit to the doc with drugs will set you back around 2-300, the same exact thing in Delivery Bay, 6-800, see how it works.
Dentists, same story, a clean and 1 filling by an expat will cost you 600, see a local and take 75% off.

Enjoy:uhoh:

[Loopdeloop]

You can also sign up to a CX dental plan - rightchoice it's called and it's not too pricey. You get a free clean a year or maybe 2 but so far as real dental work goes, you get what you pay for!

On the subject of general medical cover, those with any dependants should seriously look at getting their own medical plan as the one the company provide you with is inadequate for family members. Sorry I don't have any details of what's available but BUPA have an office here and what you really need is gap insurance to bring dependant cover up to that of the employed officer.

[Fenwicksgirl]

You can always cover yourself with private insurance for pregnancy and dental. Much cheaper than paying for medical stuff for your wifes pregnancy here.
Dental: Stay away from Quality Health, the company dental mob. Have nothing but trouble with them, would rather pay hefty fees than waste my effort with that lot!!!!

[christep]

You can always cover yourself with private insurance for pregnancy and dental. Much cheaper than paying for medical stuff for your wifes pregnancy here.How does that work then? On average you must pay more into insurance companies in premiums than you get out in reimbursements. If that wasn't the case insurance companies would not be viable businesses.

[Fenwicksgirl]

Well, check out how much it costs if you want to have a child in Hong Kong at a decent hospital.

[Numero Crunchero]

If you were like me you skimmed over the CoS when you were joining. I remember thinking 'cool, when I have kid CX pays 90% of the cost'. Anyone joining in the last 10 years would have thought their dependants were covered for medical.

Reality
Most schools available in HKG cost far more than the ESF rate. CX did improve schooling allowance in 2001 to cover 75% of the higher amount. But since it is taxed you actually get 2/3rds covered for schooling equivalent to free schooling back home.

Your dependant cover is so low that any emergency operation etc will cost you a small fortune as many have found out the hard way. So now you need to top up the CX cover.

So new joiners, Caveat Emptor!

[christep]

Your dependant cover is so low that any emergency operation etc will cost you a small fortune as many have found out the hard way.Just to be clear, the emergency operation will cost HK$100. What will cost more is pandering to your desire that your wife doesn't recuperate with the plebs - hotel services in hospitals in HK are expensive (the health care is, essentially, free).

[Numero Crunchero]

Not entirely accurate. If your doctor doesn't practice at a public hospital then you will have to pay the costs of the hospital he does work at. A friend of mine had 12hrs notice of his wife needing an operation. He was told she could not fly. He was told he could have it done at the Adventist or at Matilda. He found out a few weeks later that his CX medical policy covered less than half of the actual cost.

So if you want it to cost $100HK you will need to insist on going to a public hospital and not having your doctor do it!

[christep]

So if you want it to cost $100HK you will need to insist on going to a public hospital and not having your doctor do it!Well I guess it is a different situation if you are chronically ill and need medical attention regularly (and hence have "your" doctor). But is that really true for most people? I genuinely don't know - maybe I just have a warped sense this aspect of reality, having not needed to visit a doctor for over 20 years... If I need an "emergency operation" then frankly I want the best available doctor to do it, and everyone here tells me that this means going to Queen Mary's or Prince of Wales (at a cost of $100).

[poydras]

now, are those info regarding HK pilots or also the N. America??

[missingblade]

TO clear this up.
HKG has a government funded public health system that is essentially free to all residents. Also there is a system of very expensive private hospitals.
Both systems provide good quality care - however the private hospitals will do a song and a dance and give you a private room with nice food etc etc - the public ones wont. So really its up to you if you want to spend lots of cash when you break your leg or not.
If your wife is having a baby - she can do it in a public hospital ward for next to nothing - or in a private hospital room for 100 000 HKG $.
Most doctors work at several different hospitals. So quality of care is not necessarily better or worse at different hospitals. However if you need some sort of complex procedure ( not emergency ) then you might wait a longer time before a public hospital can do it for you - while the private one should be able to take you right away. Like anywhere - the more you pay the more prompt the service!

If you work for CX you have access to both - at least the HKG based guys do - I am not sure about guys based outside HKG since they won't have residence and a HKG ID?? They will be covered by CX's worldwide emergency insurance anyway though.

[scanscanscan]

Interested to know if Casevac on a stretcher is included in your insurance...just suppose you got a stroke down route on a night stop and lived and then needed stretcher Casevac to...where...home base/home country...if not covered it could get very expensive.

[air pressure]

Has there been any changes to the coverage for C-section births?