Downgrade
No application or underwriting process is required for the downgrade of a plan. However, please notify Bowtie by email or phone at least 30 days before the policy renewal date. The waiting period will be calculated based on the original policy's renewal date. You can downgrade your plan within the same product or downgrade to VHIS Standard without any underwriting. The changes to the plan after downgrading are as follows:
|
Original Plan |
New Plan |
|---|---|
| Pink Plan (not allowed to change to Flexi Plan) |
Pink - lower ward class with the same deductible |
| Pink - lower ward class with a higher deductible | |
| Pink - same ward class with a higher deductible | |
| Standard Plan | |
| Flexi Plus | Flexi Regular |
| Standard Plan | |
| Flexi Regular | Standard Plan |
Upgrade
You can submit an upgrade request through the Bowtie online platform. Select the in-forced insurance plan, click "Amend Policy," and follow the instructions to complete the upgrade application. Upgrading only needs re-underwriting* and does not require resubmitting personal information, credit card information, or undergoing identity verification. Once you upgrade your coverage, you will be subjected to the terms and conditions of the new policy (including any loading and exclusions).
|
Original Plan |
New Plan |
|---|---|
| Pink Plan | Pink - higher ward class with the lower deductible |
| Pink - higher ward class with a lower deductible* | |
| Pink - same ward class with a lower deductible* | |
| Pink - lower ward class with a lower deductible* | |
| Flexi Plus | Pink Plan |
| Flexi Regular | Pink Plan |
| Flexi Plus | |
| Standard Plan | Pink Plan |
| Flexi Plus | |
| Flexi Regular |
When submitting a new insurance application, the policyholder must disclose the insured’s latest health conditions. This new insurance application will be treated as a new policy and will need to go through the underwriting process again. We will evaluate whether the current health conditions can be covered, there is the possibility that the coverage result may be different from the original plan, and the plan's waiting period, if any, will need to be recalculated from the effective date of the new policy.
When submitting a new application, we recommend that customers keep the original policy in effect until the new policy is successfully approved. This ensures that the insured is still covered during this application period, and more so, if the current medical condition prevents the new policy from being approved, or if additional premiums/exclusions are required to be added to the new policy and the policyholder does not want to accept these conditions and decides to not proceed with the new plan, the protection of the original policy will not be lost.
After the new policy is successfully approved, the premium of the new plan will be charged immediately. As for the original policy, even if you terminate the plan within a month’s notice, we will still provide coverage until the next premium due date. Previously charged premium(s) will not be proportionally refunded, please pay attention to the monthly billing cycle of the original policy.
* Where the policy has satisfied below 2 conditions, the Bowtie Pink VHIS policyholder can exercise a one-off right to reduce or remove the deductible, without re-underwriting and providing further evidence of the insurability of the insured:
- Where the insured has been covered under the policy continuously for 2 consecutive policy years;
- The insured person attains the age of 55, 60, 65, 70, 75 or 80.
The policyholder can request to exercise such right, made not less than 30 days prior to the renewal date on or immediately following the date that the insured attains the required age. Please note that this right can only be exercised 1 time during the lifetime of the insured.
In any case, after the change of deductible, the premiums of the policy will be adjusted according to the prevailing standard premium schedule and the relevant terms. For details, please refer to the policy terms and conditions Supplement No. 1.