Hong Kong insurance coverage for allied health (2025)

This article provides a comprehensive overview of insurance coverage for allied health services in Hong Kong as of 2025. It is designed to help clients of IMI (Integrated Medicine Institute) understand their options and make informed decisions about their healthcare coverage. The information presented is aggregated from public, independent, and industry sources, including major brokers and comparison platforms.

Coverage overview

Many Hong Kong insurance companies offer coverage for allied health services, but the extent of coverage varies significantly. Key modalities often covered include Naturopathy, Osteopathy, Psychology, and Homeopathy, along with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture. Coverage may be subject to annual or per-session limits, specific plan tiers, and pre-authorisation requirements. It is essential to carefully review the policy details and any supplementary documents.

The following table provides a summary of coverage offered by major insurance providers in Hong Kong.

General coverage features

• Annual limits: many policies have annual limits for allied health services. Be aware of these limits and plan your treatments accordingly.
• Per-session limits: some policies also impose per-session limits, specifying the maximum amount payable per consultation.
• Pre-authorisation: certain treatments or therapies may require pre-authorisation from the insurer. Ensure you obtain pre-authorisation when necessary to avoid claim denials.
• Waiting periods: new policies may have waiting periods before certain benefits, including allied health coverage, become effective.
• Plan tiers: coverage levels often vary based on the plan tier you choose. Higher-tier plans generally offer more comprehensive coverage and higher benefit limits.

Natural medicine and allied health services overview

Naturopathy

You can think of naturopaths as the GPs of natural medicine. They’re your first port of call, and can create a personalised health plan to treat your concern or meet your health goals.

They can also point you to integrated services that will support your healing, and may make connections that traditional western doctors often won’t for multi-faceted support.

Naturopathic services covered by your insurance cover can include everything from testing to clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, detox, lifestyle plans, supplement prescription costs and more. Services are available to those of all ages from babies to adults.

Osteopathy

From sports injuries to boosting your athletic potential, or supporting you during pregnancy, our osteopaths enhance your physical and mental wellbeing.

They focus on the musculoskeletal system, joints, soft tissues and muscles, optimising blood flow, while relieving tension in order to improve mobility and help your body heal.

Cranial osteopathy is another branch of osteopathy which works with the cranium. Practitioners assess and soothe the rhythm of the cranial system, boosting the health of your nervous system for better emotional wellbeing.

Osteopathy and cranial osteopathy are covered by some insurers and support is available for all ages.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy works on the principle of like cures like. Our homeopaths find truly personalised remedies by taking into account your specific set of symptoms and your personal constitution – both of which will guide them to the right homeopathic remedy.

Insurance covers appointments with practitioners and prescriptions. This service is safe and effective for people of all ages, including children.

Psychology & psychotherapy

For a long time, insurance covering mental health services was limited – luckily this has changed. As well as offering psychiatric inpatient care, many international and comprehensive insurers offer outpatient coverage for therapy sessions.

Many insurers offer full coverage up to 20 sessions per year, which equates to once every 2 weeks. For the full details of mental health coverage, check out Alea’s full report.

TCM & acupuncture

In Hong Kong, between 15% and 20% of our population use Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, and between 50% and 60% of us have consulted one at least once.

Some insurers will cover both TCM and acupuncture; modalities which support a range of health conditions, from anxiety to joint pain, pregnancy and immunity.

TCM services cover herbal remedies, acupuncture, massage, nutrition, moxibustion and cupping.

Note: Insurance coverage details are subject to change. Always check with your insurance provider for the most up-to-date information and to confirm the specifics of your policy. Contact your insurance broker for personalised guidance.