Let us embark on a story on how having medical insurance in Hong Kong can bring relief to parents whom their children may have to undergo surgery. Both the parent and their children are under the same insurance company. The following content is adapted from real cases.
Miss.Leung’s daughter suffered from sleep apnea at an early which affected her daily life. It was necessary to have surgery to make her life normal. The worry from Miss.Leung was the cost and the risk involved in the surgery. Miss.Leung sought professional help from her insurance company for advice.
The agony of sleep apnea
Chloe, the daughter of Miss.Leung, is nine years old daughter and has been suffering from sleep apnea. Constantly not being able to breathe easily and often snoring during her sleep. This led to poor sleep quality and her feeling tired and lack of focus in class during the day.
Miss.Leung consulted an ENT specialist and the check showed Chloe has enlarged nasal tissue and tonsils, the cause for blocked airway during her sleep, causing sleep apnea.
It was advised that the excess tissue should be removed to minimise the obstruction of her airways. The cost of the surgery was to be HK$250,000 which was worrying for Miss.Leung and felt distressed. Also with the risk of the surgery involved, Miss.Leung asked her insurance company for further information on the treatment.
With the help of her insurance company, Miss.Leung was referred to another ENT specialist under the insurance company network. After further consultation and evaluation from the doctor, the cost of surgery was reduced by as much as 30%. With the help of her insurance company, Miss.Leung’s daughter was able to undergo the surgery within a reasonable time. The operation went smoothly and Chloe is now more energetic and vibrant during her class and able to achieve better sleeping quality.
Experts from the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong have estimated that about 5% of school-aged children in Hong Kong suffer from sleep apnea. Common symptoms of sleep apnea in children are sleepiness, hyperactivity and behavioural problems.
A study by CU Medicine’s Research Team about childhood sleep apnea on the relationship between sleep apnea and hypertension, showed that 243 children with an average age of about 10 years old, nearly 100 children with sleep apnea have higher blood pressure than other children of the same age. These children are 1.5 to 2.5 times more likely to develop hypertension.
references:
https://www.cigna.com.hk/en/smarthealth/medical/obstructive-sleep-apnea-in-children
The information above contains general information about medical conditions and potential treatments. It is not medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your doctor.
