HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 5 August 2021 -  AXA Hong Kong (AXA) launches "SurgiCare Surgical Insurance Plan" ("SurgiCare"). "SurgiCare" is the first-in-market surgical insurance plan based on the four levels under the existing Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) schedule of surgical procedures – minor, intermediate, major and complex, to provide comprehensive coverage for over 450 types of surgery. "SurgiCare" offers lump-sum benefits up to 100% of the sum insured for complex surgeries and 30% for major surgeries. It also offers unlimited[1] number of claims with a lump-sum payout of HKD2,500 and HKD6,000 for each of the covered minor and intermediate surgeries respectively.

Kevin Chor, Chief Life and Health Insurance Officer of AXA Hong Kong and Macau, shared his insights into the recent survey results on Hong Kong people's experience with surgery, and introduced the key benefits of the newly launched "SurgiCare Surgical Insurance Plan".

It does not matter what illness it might be or where the surgery takes place, "SurgiCare" offers customers a lump-sum benefit whenever a surgical procedure is medically necessary and covered by the VHIS. "SurgiCare" offers support to non-medical daily and additional expenses incurred during the recovery journey, which serves as a great supplement to customers' existing medical insurance plans that can only cover the medical bills. With "SurgiCare", customers can enjoy a truly comprehensive health protection.

With premium as low as HKD10 per day[2], customers can be well protected by "SurgiCare". Premium of "SurgiCare" will not be affected by medical inflation. Regardless of any change in health condition and claim history after plan enrolment, renewal of "SurgiCare" is guaranteed up to the age of 100. From now until 30 September 2021, customer who purchases two policies or more with different insured person(s), each policy can enjoy up to 12-month premium rebate.

Major or complex surgeries are common and require financial support and time for recovery

In Hong Kong, over one-third (36%) of people have gone through at least one surgery in their life, according to a joint survey[3] conducted by AXA and YouGov, an international research and data analytics group. Among those who have undergone major or complex surgeries, nearly 20% spent over HKD250,000 during their recovery which can last for over two weeks (66%) or even over 3 months (14%). This may also lead to a loss of income – 62% experienced a surgery-related income loss, of which nearly 10% had no income for more than one year. Furthermore, the data of Hopitial Authority[4] shows that major and complex surgeries are very common. In 2019-2020, over 100,000 operations performed inside operating theatres were major or complex surgeries, which accounted for 57% of the total number of operations.

Kevin Chor, Chief Life and Health Insurance Officer, AXA Hong Kong and Macau, said, "From our survey results and the Hospital Authority data, we can see that surgeries are very common in Hong Kong and many citizens have undergone major or complex surgeries. Apart from medical expenses, post-operative care is essential. Once discharged from the hospital, there might be non-medical needs such as purchase of  nutritional supplements, home medical equipment, or even organising professional caregiving service which can be expensive. However, many of these expenses may not be reimbursed by medical insurance nor covered by critical illness insurance. 'SurgiCare' helps fill this protection gap and provides holistic protection to our customers, underscoring AXA's commitment to being a true lifelong partner to our customers."

Extra Companion Benefit for parents to take care of their loved ones

AXA also fully recognises that many parents would be very worried if their children are hospitalised, thus "SurgiCare" provides an extra one-off payout amounting to 5% of the sum insured as a Companion Benefit if the insured aged 12 or below undergoes a covered major surgical procedure or complex surgical procedure.

For more information on "SurgiCare", please visit: https://www.axa.com.hk/en/surgicare-surgical-insurance-plan

The above information is for reference only. For details on premium rebate and product features, content, terms and exclusions, please refer to the product brochure, policy provision and promotional leaflet.

About AXA Hong Kong and Macau

AXA Hong Kong and Macau is a member of the AXA Group, a leading global insurer with presence in 54 markets and serving 105 million customers worldwide. Our purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters.

As one of the most diversified insurers offering integrated solutions across Life, Health and General Insurance, our goal is to be the insurance and holistic wellness partner to the individuals, businesses and community we serve.

At the core of our service commitment is continuous product innovation and customer experience enrichment, which is achieved through actively listening to our customers and leveraging technology and digital transformation.

We embrace our responsibility to be a force for good to create shared value for our community. We are proud to be the first insurer in Hong Kong and Macau to address the important need of mental health through different products and services. For example, the Mind Charger function on our holistic wellness platform "AXA BetterMe", which is available via our mobile app Emma by AXA, is open to not just our customers, but the community at large. We will continue to foster social progress through our product offerings and community investment to support the sustainable development of Hong Kong and Macau.

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AXA.COM.HK

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