Bupa Hong Kong has expanded its healthcare footprint into mainland China through agreements with four hospital networks, reflecting a strategic response to shifting insurance coverage trends and rising healthcare demands among Hong Kong residents.
The insurer’s new partners – Fosun Health, Prosper Health, The GBA Healthcare Group, and Zhongshan Chen Xinghai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine – operate across 10 cities and nearly 70 facilities throughout the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The arrangement enables policyholders to receive a variety of treatments without upfront payment, leveraging Bupa’s direct settlement system.
This service model includes inpatient care, day procedures, and access to specialty treatment, such as oncology, orthopaedics, and endoscopic interventions.
Bupa emphasised that the partner hospitals include Tier III Class A institutions, a designation reserved for China’s highest-ranked healthcare facilities.
“This is about giving our customers more support and providing cross-border, accessible medical care options, whether they need critical healthcare or day procedures. Bupa makes it easy for customers to seamlessly navigate their healthcare journey through our own services and through our network partners,” said Yuman Chan, general manager of Bupa Hong Kong’s insurance business.
With direct billing now available through Bupa’s healthcare partners, insured individuals can receive treatment without making deposits or waiting for reimbursements. The insurer said this feature is intended to reduce administrative delays and simplify care coordination.
In addition to streamlined billing, Bupa offers 24/7 case management support, aimed at guiding members through the treatment process and ensuring continuity of care. This aligns with the company’s strategy to enhance the customer experience through improved service infrastructure.
The expansion comes as new data from research firm MDRi highlighted gaps in medical insurance coverage within Hong Kong.
The study, which surveyed 1,000 residents across Hong Kong and Singapore, showed that 19% of Hong Kong respondents remain uninsured – nearly double the 10% reported in Singapore.
Insurance penetration also differed in terms of personal medical coverage. Only 36% of Hong Kong residents reported holding individual health insurance policies, compared to 49% in Singapore.
However, Hong Kong’s high-net-worth population is poised to drive growth, with nearly half (48%) expressing plans to acquire new policies in the coming year.
Healthcare expenditure is also on the rise, particularly among the middle-income segment. Twenty-six percent of Hong Kong respondents indicated they will allocate more funds to medical care in 2025.
Despite this upward trend in health-related spending, affordability remains a key obstacle.
High premiums were identified as the leading barrier to insurance adoption by 62% of Hong Kong respondents, compared to 52% in Singapore.
