Cashless Hospital Discharge & Admission Without Deposit Guide

ARTICLE

What is Cashless Hospitalisation or, Admission Without Deposit? Here's Our Comprehensive Guide to Application Procedures and Processes

4-min read

We can all agree that falling ill and requiring hospital treatment is distressing.

Having to manage unexpected large medical expenses can make the experience particularly challenging.

Currently, some insurance policies offer cashless hospitalisation and admission without deposit services that are designed to alleviate the financial burden on the insured.

But what exactly are cashless hospitalization and admission without deposit services? How do you apply for them?

This article is intended to provide you with a detailed introduction.

What is "Cashless Hospitalisation" and "Admission Without Deposit"?

"Cashless hospitalization" and "admission without deposit" services, as the terms imply, mean that the insured do not need to pay a deposit upon admission or cover medical expenses themselves upon discharge.

By notifying the insurance company and completing the required procedures in advance or within a specified time, and upon approval, the insured can be admitted to the hospital for treatment without worrying about medical expenses and can focus on recovering their health.

Taking AIA as an example, all our medical products offer "Cashless Hospitalisation services" and "pre-approval of medical expenses services"*, so you don't have to worry about discharge and claim procedures. Moreover, these services cover Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China, and overseas regions such as Singapore, the UK, and the US.

How to Apply for "Cashless Hospitalisation" and "Admission Without Deposit"?

The "cashless hospitalization" and "admission without deposit" services require prior notification to the insurance company and the completion of relevant procedures before admission. Approval is necessary to take advantage of these services.

Here are the application procedures for AIA's "Cashless Hospitalisation" and "admission without deposit":

Obtain the "Medical Expense Pre-approval Form"
You can download it from the AIA website (Help & Support → Form Library → Claims - Medical → Pre-Admission Form / Medical Expense Pre-approval Form)
Submit the "Medical Expense Pre-approval Form" to the Insurance Company
This must be done at least two (2) business days before admission (for Hong Kong, Macau, or mainland China) / seven (7) business days (for overseas).

Submit it along with all medical reports and relevant documents via fax to Hong Kong and other regions to (852) 3118 9083 / Macau (853) 2831 5900 or email them to hk.pre-admission@aia.com. Note: The third part of the form must be completed by the attending physician or surgeon along with the admission details.
Issuance of the "Letter of Guarantee" (LOG)
The entire process will be completed within at least two (2) business days (for Hong Kong, Macau, or mainland China) / seven (7) business days (for overseas) from the time the insurance company receives the "Pre-Approval of Medical Expenses Form".

Once successfully arranged, a representative will contact the insured by phone, and a reference number will be sent via SMS to customers with a Hong Kong mobile number. Meanwhile, the insurance company will issue a "Hospital Payment Guarantee Letter" to the relevant hospital. Note: The insurance company will reserve a minimum credit limit of HK$5,000 or equivalent currency (depending on the estimated shortfall amount) from the customer's authorised credit card until the claims process is completed.
At the time of admission, please present identification documents for verification.
Upon discharge, simply sign the medical claims form provided by the hospital. The hospital will then directly submit the inpatient bill to the insurance company, and the insurance company will pay the relevant inpatient expenses directly and calculate the reimbursable amount.

Why Might There Be a Shortfall?

If the inpatient expenses exceed the reimbursable amount or involve charges outside the coverage during hospitalisation, such unreimbursed charges constitute a "shortfall".

The insurance company will issue a "Shortfall Payment Notice" to the insured and deduct the relevant "shortfall" from the authorised credit card 14 days after the issuance of the notice. Additionally, if the insured patient receives treatment overseas, they may be required to pay certain costs directly. This includes amounts exceeding the credit limit specified in the guarantee letter and any out-of-pocket expenses, depending on the chosen hospital.

Is Hospitalisation Proof Required for the Application?

You only need to submit the application form to the insurance company at least two (2) business days before admission, without needing hospitalisation proof. However, please note that the submitted "Pre-Approval of Medical Expenses Form" must be completed by the attending physician or surgeon with the admission details. At the time of admission, present identification documents for verification.

High-Quality Medical Services:

Network doctors are typically vetted and assessed to ensure their medical services meet standards. This means you can receive treatment with greater confidence, obtaining professional and high-quality medical services.

If the Medical Insurance Has a Deductible, can "Cashless Hospitalisation" and "Admission Without Deposit" Be Used?

A "deductible" means that the insured needs to bear a specified amount of expenses themselves before the insurance company covers the medical costs. Therefore, if your policy has a deductible, even if you are using the "Cashless Hospitalisation" service, you still need to pay the deductible portion yourself at discharge, and the remaining costs will be covered by the insurance company.

This is an administrative arrangement for insured expenses incurred during hospitalisation and is not part of the policy coverage. AIA reserves the right to withdraw this service at any time without prior notice and retains absolute discretion.

*This is an administrative arrangement designed to cover the insured expenses incurred by the insured during hospitalisation, rather than the policy coverage. AIA reserves the right to withdraw this service at any time without prior notice and reserves the right to make its absolute decision.

#The "Cashless Hospitalisation" and "Medical Expense Pre-approval Service" in some areas are only applicable to designated individual medical protection insurance plans and will be modified from time to time. For details, please visit the AIA website (www.aia.com.hk/cashlesshospitalisation).

References:

AIA."Cashless Hospitalisation" and "Medical Expense Pre-approval Service" [Online Information] Source: [Accessed on May 12, 2024]