Bupa VHIS: Hong Kong's certified local plans explained
Bupa's VHIS series is a local Hong Kong product, not Bupa Global's international range: certified Standard and Flexi plans from Bupa (Asia) Limited. IPMIAsia explains the four products, Hero's areas and deductibles, claims, and where VHIS sits next to international private medical insurance (IPMI).
- Annual limits run from HK$420,000 on MyBasic to HK$40m on Hero and Global Prestige.
- Hero's Core, Advance and Deluxe options cover Asia, Australia and New Zealand; the Pro options widen to worldwide excluding the USA.
- Hero deductible variants include HK$0, HK$15,000, HK$50,000 and HK$80,000, depending on the plan.
- Optional benefits are not necessarily part of the certified cover, so check which parts of a Flexi plan sit inside the certification.
- Bupa (Asia) Limited is registered as VHIS provider 00020; the products share Bupa Global's brand but not its limits, areas or documents.
A certified Hong Kong product, not Bupa Global
The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) is Hong Kong's framework for certified individual medical insurance. Bupa (Asia) Limited is registered as VHIS provider 00020 and sells a series of certified plans in two types: a Standard Plan, which follows the scheme's standard terms, and Flexi Plans, which build on the standard terms with higher limits and extra options. These are local Hong Kong products in Hong Kong dollars.
They are not the same thing as Bupa Global, the international range in pounds sterling. The brand is shared; the products, limits, areas and documents are not. Our Hong Kong country page explains how a VHIS plan and an international plan sit alongside each other for an expat in the city.
The four VHIS products
| Product | Type and published headline |
|---|---|
| MyBasic VHIS | Standard Plan; HK$420,000 annual benefit limit |
| MyFlexi VHIS | Flexi Plan; options including Full Cover and SMM benefits up to HK$1.71m annually |
| Hero VHIS | Flexi Plan; Core through Deluxe Pro, with HK$5m to HK$40m annual limits |
| Global Prestige VHIS | Flexi Plan; worldwide medical cover up to HK$40m annually |
Reading the ladder: MyBasic is the certified standard plan at the scheme's base level. MyFlexi adds options above it. Hero is the plan with a choice of area and deductible and the widest spread of limits. Global Prestige is the worldwide product at the top.
Hero: areas, limits and deductibles
Hero is the product most relevant to an expat comparing local and international cover, because it is the one with a real area-of-cover choice.
- Core, Advance and Deluxe cover Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
- The corresponding Pro options (Core Pro through Deluxe Pro) cover worldwide excluding the USA.
- Published annual limits rise from HK$5m to HK$40m across the options.
- Current certification variants include HK$0, HK$15,000, HK$50,000 and HK$80,000 deductibles, depending on the plan.
A deductible is paid by you before the plan pays. The four published variants give a wide range, and the right one depends on what you could absorb in a year with a serious admission in a Hong Kong private hospital.
Compare VHIS with international cover
Nomi quotes Bupa's VHIS plans and 20+ international insurers for your situation in about a minute.
Claims, pre-authorisation and limitations
- Bupa publishes hospital and clinical claim forms, and supports claim submission through myBupa in the Blua Health app.
- A pre-authorisation form is available for cashless service when choosing a specialist outside Bupa's network for hospital, day-case or clinical operations.
- Each certified plan has its own certification number, schedule and terms. Optional benefits are not necessarily part of the certified cover, so check which parts of a Flexi plan sit inside the certification and which sit outside it.
- No average approval time is published, so none is claimed here.
Where VHIS fits for an expat in Hong Kong
A VHIS plan is Hong Kong cover first. For someone whose life is in the city and whose travel is regional, a Hero plan with the Asia, Australia and New Zealand area can do the job of an international plan at a local scale, in Hong Kong dollars, with claims through a local app. The questions to ask are the ones that separate a local plan from an international one: what happens if you leave Hong Kong for good, whether the area covers the countries you travel to, and how the certified cover compares with the full international plans in the IPMIAsia insurer list.
Underwriting and pre-existing conditions are governed by each plan's own schedule and terms, so ask for them with the quote. Our pre-existing conditions guide explains the general approaches so you know what to look for. If outpatient cover matters, note that MyFlexi and Hero are Flexi plans with options above the standard terms; the inpatient versus outpatient guide explains why that choice drives day-to-day value.
IPMIAsia compares Bupa's VHIS series with 20+ international insurers through Nomi, which is the simplest way to see whether a certified local plan or a global plan gives better value for your situation. The Hong Kong page covers the wider context, and the Singapore and Thailand pages are useful if a move within the region is possible.
Who Bupa VHIS suits
A strong fit if you live in Hong Kong for the long term, you want a certified plan from a locally registered provider in Hong Kong dollars, and a Hero area of Asia, Australia and New Zealand, or worldwide excluding the USA, matches your travel.
Worth comparing alternatives if you may move to another country, you want a plan that follows you across borders without re-application, or you want to see the HK$ limits against the international market. Browse all insurers for the alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bupa's VHIS series?
What are the annual limits?
What areas does Bupa Hero cover?
What deductibles are available on Hero?
How do I claim with Bupa VHIS?
Should an expat in Hong Kong choose VHIS or an international plan?
Bupa VHIS against the whole market
Nomi ranks 20+ insurers on real price and explains the differences in plain English.
This page is general information, not personal or medical advice, and is based on Bupa (Asia) Limited's published VHIS series pages, the Bupa Hero VHIS page and the claims and document centre, with current documents shown for applications and renewals from 1 April 2026; each certified plan has its own certification number, schedule and terms, and exact terms and underwriting are confirmed by the insurer at quote. Prices are indicative. Bupa is a trademark of the Bupa group. This page covers Bupa's VHIS series only, not every Bupa Hong Kong product or Bupa Global.