How can Hong Kong retirees ease the pain of rising healthcare costs?

Retiree Philip Kong says he realised Hong Kong’s healthcare system needed a wake-up call when he discovered that receiving treatment for his Prostate Condition in neighbouring Shenzhen could potentially cut his medical bill by nearly 90 per cent.The 75-year-old was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate earlier this year and set to pay HK$210,000 (US$26,780) for a scheduled surgery at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital – until a family friend, who is a urologist, suggested another option.The alternative? The Shenzhen-hospital" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="176687" data-entity-type="organization">University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital – a 2,000-bed clinical, teaching and research facility in Futian that opened in 2012 – offered a full examination, including blood and urine tests, for about HK$300 and an extra HK$20,000 for the standard inpatient procedure.In the end, Kong opted not to go for the larger discount and paid for the “deluxe” HK$60,000 package. It included a private room with a sea view and meant the operation was performed by three “professor-grade” specialists.“It is a fraction of the cost, and treats you like a king,” Kong said after making an initial trip to the hospital to explore his optionsPhilip Kong was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate earlier this year and was set to pay HK$210,000 for surgery at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital. Photo: Jonathan WongWhile Kong, who has lived and worked in Hong Kong as a businessman all his life, is enrolled in the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, the episode has still left him shaken.