HI,
Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to which health insurance fund is the best for pregnancy? Thanks
Which private insurance company is good for pregnancy?
rayray78 on 05/01/2014 - 10:09
Comments
To get you pregnant?
In our experience the health funds just pay for the (fairly substantial) private hospital fees, not the Obstetrician/Anaesthetist/Out patient's etc. So there's not really too much to compare.
We had one with Medibank Private in 2011 and one with health.com.au last year. Health.com.au seem to be cheaper in general, but otherwise no real difference. Probably worth giving iSelect a call…
Best advice I can give you is negotiate with your Obstetrician, our one's standard fee was $6k, but we got him to do it for $4k.
Not exactly correct! Health funds pay for hospital services when you are admitted as an 'in-patient' (which you would be for the birth of a child) and this includes your obstetrician and anaesthetist fees, but only generally up to the Medicare Scheduled Fee for that service (see next paragraph re out-of-pocket expenses). Out-patient services are only covered by Medicare (for Australian residents). You health fund will cover all your major hospital expenses associated with the birth, with the exception of some incidentals like TVs etc. Therefore, your accommodation and theatre fees in hospital are covered (how much depends on your level of cover).
You will also have out-of-pocket expenses when it comes to the doctors fees (including obstetrician, anaesthetist, pathologists etc, etc) as your health fund will only pay up to Medicare Schedule Fee for that service - you may get lucky and have a health fund that agrees to pay more than then Medicare schedule if you abide by their conditions. The big disconnect here is that very few doctors charge the Medicare Schedule Fee, rather they use the AMA's (Australian Medical Assoc) recommended fee for their services. Last time I checked there was a massive difference between what the AMA recommends its members charge, versus what the Medicare Schedule Fee is for a particular service.
Your best bet would be to ask your obstetrician what his fees are? Are they negotiable? Is he/she part of a health fund that covers all the gaps (eg,. like BUPA's member network)?
Negotiate with your obstetrician? Wow, try doing that at any of the well regarded ones in Perth (unless it's on compassionate grounds) and they'll be laughing you out the door…
no harm in asking …
With Medibank, we used Saint George Private Hospital Kogarah NSW 3.5 years before. It cost us around $6500 out of pocket in Obstetrician/Anaesthetist/Out patient fees and charges. Be careful about all these costs that no insurance covers.
Medibank has got a waiting for 12 months before they cover you for pregnancy.
Which makes you wonder why you need private insurance at all…
For the massive in-patient Hospital fees!
I do agree it sucks to have to pay all the other expenses too…
Even though I paid the OB 5k, the total bill from the hospital was some 13k because of a Caesar and special care nursery. So if you are going private, you better have PH.
Some insurance companies have policies that cover upto AMA fees. Doctors Health Fund has such a policy but membership is restricted (but not just to doctors).
I'll vote for 'none'…
You can have a baby for $0 in the public system (and any 'serious' complications will see you rushed to the public hospital anyway, at least here it does)..
The 'out of pocket' cost for private hospital delivery of a baby and a couple of days in hospital would be better spent by putting that $ into a savings account for the childs future..At the end of the day you take home a baby..
Yes, but some people want the choice of their own obstetrician, as oppossed to the next available one in the public system. However, if you don't care about who the obstetrician is, then using the public system makes sense as it will cost you nothing!
La Trobe is the only health insurance that allow 9 month waiting period, others are 12 months. I am with BUPA and if your private hospital is within their member network, your partner can stay overnight free charge provided you partner is with them as well. That said, I am considering moving to health.com.au soon.