Private or Public Hospital

[Sabby]

Hi All,

Not sure if I'm posting this thread on the right section.
I'm new to this forum and also expecting our first child.

I have a private health fund and I have so many questions in regards to costs.
I know with public you don't have to pay anything at all.

I am with Medibank and thinking of going to have my baby at Sydney South West Private Hospital in Liverpool as this is the nearest to me.

I know I have to pay excess of $200 for the hospital stay but does anyone know what other costs are involced.

I have been told by my Dr that I would also spend on the gyno. I've called a few gyno to do my research and apparently it will cost me about $3k just for the gyno! Plus ultrasound cost. Does anybody know how much you get back from medicare?

Just trying to decide if its best to go Private or public hospital?

Please help as my hubby and I have to make a decision by this weekend.

Thanks.

Sabby

[suemp]

Cant Help Much Sabby As The Only Private Cover We Get Is For Extras And I Have Only Ever Gone Public But Speaking To A Few Friends Who Have Gone Private I Pretty Sure It Depends On Your Cover And What The Costs Are So Call Medibank And Ask Them. I Know There Are Pros Of Going Private As The Rooms Are Nicer, You Have The One Doc See You Thru And You Have Private Rooms
Pros To Public: Its Free (of Course) And A Huge Plus Is That If Any Thing Happens To Bub (once Born) They Usually Have To Be Transferred To Larger Public Hospitals Where The Expertise And Equipment Is, So Id Rather Be There Just In Case.
Good Luck With Your Decision

[CrazyBeautiful]

I've been both a private and a public patient. I had no out of pocket expenses at all going public. When I went private, I was out of pocket by about $2000 and that was having a normal delivery. My gap to my OB was $3000, which I got most of that back, but then you've got the Paediatrician, Anaesthetist (if required). If you have a C-section you will also have to pay for an assistant surgeon. I liked the rooms in private and the food of course, I couldn't fault the midwifery care in both the public and private systems, they were fantastic. I don't mind paying a bit extra to go private as it's like being in a hotel and more relaxing than a public hospital. Good luck with your decision.

[CrazyBeautiful]

There's two of the same thread??????

[Tristans_Mum]

:) Hey i had the choice of going public or private and i went public.
It was the best choice i made. My midwifes were excellent and was constantly being attented to.
I have a friend that went private and because you are in your own room they attend to you less. (not saying every hospital does this) My friend said he waited ages just for a nurse to come in her room, even when she had called them. I think it would be nice going private but i have nothing to complain about going public.

[twins+another]

My SIL just had her second baby at Sydney South West at Liverpool. She was very happy with everything but it works out at about $2 grand out of pocket each time she has a bub there even with full cover.

I personally have been through the public system and can't rave enough about the care my twins and I recieved at StGeorge Public.

Basically, if anything goes 'wrong' at a private hospital, you will be transferred to the nearest large public hospital. A friend of mine had a premmie baby at Kareena and the baby had to be flown to Nepean Hospital for special care (due to that being the closest hospital that had room for a special needs baby that wasn't an in-house patient) while she was stuck in Kareena. It meant that she was seperated from her baby until she was discharged 4 days later.

My two went straight into the special care nursery up the hallway from me and I could see them and feed them whenever I wanted.

I'm not saying that you should automatically assume that something will go 'wrong' but you need to consider what facilities are available to you just in case.

Good luck

[mim5]

Sabby you really need to cheack with your health fund what is covered if your OB is covered and your Paeds Dr is covered or if there is Gap involved. I have top cover but if my OB and Paeds charge over the 100% then that is my gap cost that requires me to pay. You can check with your OB what they charge and then clarify with your health fund. The midwive staff in each hospital would have the some qulaifications and experience. If you are in a private hospital and your bub needs to be transfered out to a large neonatal unit due to medical reasons for special crae then in most cases they will also look for a bed for the mother to go with the child but if all the public state beds for maternity are filled, the first concerns will always be to find an available neonatal bed for the bub they will initially look close by but in some circumstances bubs can be transfered to a bed in another area and in very rare circumstaces interstate if all nenonatl beds are occupied. NETS are called in most circumstances to assits with the baby regardless if you are in a public or private hospital and to transfer the bubs to the other hospital.
hope I have not confused you.

[Rachael]

You need to go and sit down with Medibank and talk to them.

I am with Medibank and have the second top cover with all the hospital extras etc.

Costs so far have been:


I pay for all ultrasounds - get back approx 70% from Medicare and another 25% from Medibank.

I pay $60 per visit to Obstitrician - get back about 50% from Medicare/Medibank (Don't remember as hubby does that all for me)

$400 excess for Obstitrician, Medicare & Medibank pay the rest.

$200 excess for whole hospital stay when I give birth. Which is great as it costs $625 per day at Pindara which is where I am going.

Not sure how much all the blood tests cost me but Medicare and Medibank should reimburse you at least 80% of the total cost.


I highly advise you go to a medibank office and check what you will be up for, it differs with each level of cover.

[elliek]

Hi Sabby,

In addition to the above advice, I would also suggest that you have a look at the maternity coalition website (www.maternitycoalition.org.au)- they have links to midwives in private practice with their websites and contact details. Most private midwives tend to do packages for care that covers your pregnancy care including childbirth education, birth care and post birth care up to 6 weeks after the birth of your baby. A lot of private midwives also are maternal and child health nurses and lactation consultants.

Good luck in your search!

Kellie:)

[defaipe]

heya, i had both my daughters at a private hospital as i was with medibank private. i live in WA and paid $200 excess for each hospital stay and that was it for the births.
paid for ultrasounds and recieved some money back from medicare, didn't realise i could've claimed with medibank!! :laughing:
will remember for next time :)

[bigglet]

With private you get a choice of your own OB and private hospital. I liked the relationship I had with my OB especially as this was my first child and had no idea what was going on and in the end she had to assist me with the delivery and it was nice to have a familiar face and someone who had overseen the whole pregnancy. The only downside was of course the nice excess and bills afterwards but if you find an OB who has either no gaps or a lower gap fee then it's not so bad.

The public system isn't bad - it's actually quite good but with the private system you just get a more personalised service and choice. Also some of the private hospitals are quite nice. You also have to think about whether you want to be a private patient in a public hospital (sometimes this means the excess and fees are less than a private hospital) or a private patient in a private hospital. Also whether you really want an OB to oversee your pregnancy or whether you are happy to just have your local doctor or midwife run clinic which are usually under the public system.

Good luck and have fun! :)

[FourAngelKisses]

I had all 3 of my babies through the public system. The treatment we recieved there was fantastic. (The private hospital here doesn't deliver babies, you have to have them in the public one, then get transferred.)
The hospital was clean and tidy, staff were fantastic and very helpful, the Dr's who delivered the babies were friendly, I couldn't have asked for better.


Good luck deciding!!!

[kiwibird27]

I'm going through the public system at bankstown and they are great, even the doctors have ultrasounds in there rooms, much nicer than the Royal North Shore where i was before i moved house!!! - If I had to come up with a couple hundred dollars for each ob visit then go to Medicare then go to my health fund - i would be really annoyed, Don't really see the need to have an ob right the way through anyway, the midwifes are brillant - If i was a high risk patient however that may be different!!! Sometimes the wait for doctors in the public system can be awhile, however if your low risk thats only a couple of times anyway!!
All going well your private ob will be at the birth but if he can't make it then u get delivered by whoever is there anyway!!!

Comes down to personal choice really and how much u want a private room, and the same people throughout!!!

[FourAngelKisses]

much nicer than the Royal North Shore where i was before i moved house!!!

Brooke had her tonsils taken out at RNS, I was less than impressed with that hospital and the staff...........

[carls888]

Hi I have just been trying to decide the same thing.
We are going public. The obs, scans etc would have been out of pocket $1200-$1500 and that's after medicare rebate. So that was fine. But the clincher for me was that NONE of the obs where I live do a no gap delivery. So the actual delivery was going to cost between $1500-$3000 on top of the other fees and then if we needed an anesthetist (sp??) or pediatrician it would be more on top of that.
I couldn't justify the expense. And I didn't want to be screaming in pain and trying to decide if I needed an epidural ws worth the extra $$$.
So for me it wasn't worth the stress. I phone the antental clinic at the public hospital and the midwife was lovely and no out of pockets.
I actually feel relieved now we've made that decision.
It peeves me though. We pay massive insurance and nothing is actually covered. Medicare pay most of the fees, the health insurance decides what it will and wont pay. GGGRRRRR!
But I am glad I researched what we were up for and didn't just go in blindly and then have a massive shock/bill at the end.
HTH,
Carla ;)


ETA: On rereading that sounds like a bit of a rant, sorry...:ecomcity:
But I just want to say that I am ery happy with the public hospital and lovely midwives there. It also goes along with my belief that women who are pregnant are not sick. Most of our friends and family have been really pressuring us with private insurance, and yes I understand it's for elective surgery etc. And that's fine, but I feel happy, as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders that I have made the choice to birth the way I am happy with. Sometimes I feel that I was scared into wanting to go private, but as PP said, if anything happens you are transferred to a publc hospital anyway where there is ALWAYS an ob etc on duty.
Made into an even longer rant....
Carla :D

[Aquamarine]

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[defaipe]

there is no way i would've gone private paying all those fees, my gosh, the reason we pay for private insurance is to cover these times.

and i was pi**ed at paying $200 for each delivery with my girls :laughing: