Birthing Options

[anniem]

Hi Everyone,

I am hoping someone on the Sunshine Coast can help me. I am immigrating to Australia (to Noosa) with my Australian husband and won't be able to get private health insurance to cover my pregnancy and so I will have to go the Medicare route. I believe I will have to have my birth at Nambour General but am unsure of this. First though, I believe I need a GP. Does anyone have any recomendations? Should I be booking into Nambour General now (I'm 7 weeks along) or can I wait until I see a GP in Australia which won't be until around 6 1/2 months. I would greatly appreciate some information as its a bit confusing trying to figure out how this whole Australian system works! :rolleyes:

[Chickadee]

Hi AnnieM,

Isn't that wait for obstetrics coverage under private plans a real pain! I nearly got caught with that too when we immigrated and hated having to wait. Where are you immigrating from? We came from Canada which doesn't have any reciprocal arrangements with Oz for health care, so we couldn't get medicare and only had the private option.

I went private and in WA, so I can't speak for what procedures are at Nambour but I don't think I got the forms from my ob for booking the hospital until at least 6 months.

[anniem]

Hi MarthaM,

I am immigrating from New Zealand but am on an American Passport. Were you not elligable for a Medicare card when you first entered on your Visa? What kind of Visa did you come over on? I am on a Spouse Visa. I believe I am elligable for Medicare card as soon as I enter the country but if anyone knows otherwise I would be very keen to hear opinions. :)

[BlueGin]

Hi anniem, just a quick note to you regarding the public/prvate;
I am not sure what country you are coming from, but I know my the many people in my family who have immigrated (we seem to search far and wide in my family for spouses!) they were all a little worried about using the public health system. However, here in Aus. the system is fantastic! You get the same people you would in private, you just don't necessarily get to choose which doctor/midwife you will have at the birth. Some of the Queensland hospitals (Brisbane in particular I have heard) have fantastic public birthing centres which I have heard people rave about. BUt I would be calling Nambur to let them know when you will be giving birth, as a lot of places seem to expect a lot of notice. As for the GP, the generally just do the basic monitoring and refer you to a GP, so you will probably be fine with whichever one ends up being closest to your house. To find out just go to http://www.yellowpages.com.au to search for one. Hope this helps!

[MrsMiggins]

Hi anniem!

I too am on the Sunshine Coast (Caloundra) and am due to give birth at Nambour General Hospital in October.

I do not have private cover, so will be a public patient on Medicare.

So far, I have only attended my GP for antenatal appointments and she is taking care of booking me into NGH. I did have my midwife appointment just last Thursday - they do a specialist outpatient clinic at Caloundra & a few other S/C locations. It really went so well & I am confident things are going to go well.

This is my first, and I really am very naiive about the whole Medicare system, hospital procedure etc. etc. etc. I have never had to have much health care at all in the past and had no idea what I am supposed to do! If you go and see any GP, they will talk you through it & let you know what needs to be done & will arrange all your bookings & appointments, blood tests, ultrasounds - the whole bit.

I have decided to have the bulk of the remainder of my antenatal appointments at the midwife clinic at the hospital (split between Caloundra & Nambour) as I felt I got a lot more useful information from the midwives.

Best of Luck! And just let me know if I can be of any more help!

Fiona :)

[Chickadee]

Hi MarthaM,

I am immigrating from New Zealand but am on an American Passport. Were you not elligable for a Medicare card when you first entered on your Visa? What kind of Visa did you come over on? I am on a Spouse Visa. I believe I am elligable for Medicare card as soon as I enter the country but if anyone knows otherwise I would be very keen to hear opinions. :)

Sorry for being so long in answering! I'm not sure but I think if you're on a spouse visa and your hub is eligble for Medicare then you will be too. My hub was on a sponsored 4 year work visa, I came in on a spousal to his. The work visa gave no medicare eligibility, so no medicare unless there was a reciprocal agreement for health care with our home country. There is for New Zealanders and Brits, but not for Canadians, or Americans I think. But like I said, if your hub gets medicare then I'm pretty sure you will too.

Good luck with the move!
Martha