1.48 million people purchased private individual-based health insurance (IHI) in 2016. The penetration ratio of IHI products in local population has surged from 20% in 2006 to 34% in 2016. Although almost all of the insurance policies covered inpatient care, less than three-fifths of the insured people received such care in private hospitals due to hesitation on premium transparency and budget certainty in existing products (The Legislative Council Secretariat, 2018, July).

References:

The Legislative Council Secretariat. (2018, July). Health insurance for individuals in Hong Kong.  Retrieved from https://www.legco.gov.hk/research-publications/english/1718rb03-health-insurance-for-individuals-in-hong-kong-20180703-e.pdf.