How much does it cost to go private?

[little_fish]

I know you need to book into your chosen hospital pretty much as soon as you know you are pregnant, so I thought I might try and understand my options while I am waiting... I am currently very confused!!! :confused:

I want to have a hospital birth, that much I know.
I am currently considering the Mater private (south Brisbane), Mater Mothers (public), and the RBWH birthing centre (if I am lucky to have an uncomplicated pg, and lucky enough to get a spot there)
I have private insurance.
I don't know any ob/gyns, so no preference there.

Am I right to say that if I go private there will be a significant gap (most likely) between what medibank private pays and all the costs of a hospital? Can anyone tell me what the costs are and how much the gap is likely to be?

Has anyone had experience with both public and private and can recommend why I might prefer to go private? (or vise versa)

Are there costs even before you get to the birth which I should be aware of?

Any advice from those of you who have been there and done that would be greatly appreciated!

[Chickadee]

There have been a few previous threads comparing the cost of a public versus private birth. I'll try to find one and put a link here for you. Edit: found the thread I was thinking of: Costs of having a baby (http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=3819)

Yes there will be a gap, and it depends on your insurer and particular plan. If you contact the hospital they should be able to give you an estimate of what the gap will be. But that estimate will be for a "normal" or average birth and may not include fees for specialists such as paediatricians or anaethesists. For my private birth those specialists billed me separately and not via the hospital.

Before birth, there will likely be a gap if you are seeing an obstetrician and possibly for some tests like ultrasounds. That's something to ask your insurer and the obs you are considering. I sent a whole list of questions to Medibank Private when I found out I was pregnant and found them very helpful at clarifying what was covered and what wasn't.

[little_fish]

Thanks Martha, Sorry I didn't mean to repeat something that has been discussed in another thread. :o I just hadn't found that thread! Please let me know if you find it. Edit: ah Thanks :thumbsup:

What sort of questions did you ask? Do you still have a list of them? I feel like I am at a point that I can't even quiet work out what I should be asking....

[littlepickle]

I have an excess of $200 for my private cover. I have been assured that that will be all I have to pay on leaving hospital.
Until then, My out of pocket expences will have amounted to around $1200 + $200 Excess. thats after medicare rebates etc

[Chickadee]

Don't worry, what you asked is a common question. There are other threads as well if you search on "cost birth" or "cost hospital"

I was on Overseas Visitors cover at the time, with no medicare, so my questions would be a bit different from yours. I asked some pretty silly questions like whether DH staying in hospital with me would be covered (No), meals in hospital (yes), as well as if DD would automatically be covered at birth in case of having to go to neonatal care and building up costs there (yes). I can't think what else. But I'd suggest asking anything and everything that you're wondering. If I was doing it again, now with medicare and a different insurance plan, I'd probably want to know what the Medicare scheduled fees were for different services so that I could figure out the gap for obstetricians and tests.

One interesting note - the hospital I delivered at was a partner with my health insurer so I never saw a bill for my own hospital stay. But because I was the admitted patient and not DD, the paediatrician who saw her in hospital wasn't able to bill her through the hospital and I got that bill separate. Not sure why the anaestesist billed separately for my c/s.

[talon]

I am with Medibank Private also and upon leaving hospital only had to outlay my excess of $200.00. :)

[littlepickle]

I am with medicare private too - My cover is called smartplus and I have an excess of $200 - which isnt too bad!

[little_fish]

wow thanks for your responses. :)

littlepickle and kriscee, I also have smartplus medibank private cover. Did you use private hospitals or public (or private patient in a public hosp)? When I was looking at the link Martha posted it seemed most people with private health insurance were still paying around $2000 to $3000 after they had claimed everything back, so I am curious to know if you had any expenses which weren't exactly hospital expenses which still cost you, and which you couldn't claim back.

Martha thanks for all you info! It is very bizarre that you were a patient but your DD wasn't and the bills were therefore handled differently! It is a very good idea to ask medicare what they cover so you can work out the gap when people tell you how much things cost.

[talon]

I went private. am unsure of what I outlayed all up during my pregnancy but had to pay for paedeatrician (sp?) and anaesthetist also. Could claim money back on both though. I think that was all from the time I had bub.

Before that, I could claim back portions of all of my ob appointments and ultrasounds, pathology etc. Actually pretty much everything I could claim money back on either from medicare or medibank.

EDITED TO ADD:

just wanted to answer your public vs. private questions also. I found that with private, I was guaranteed a private room, they provided pretty much everything I needed to look after bub in hospital including clothes, cloth nappies, bathing stuff, bunny rugs etc. I really just had to bring a going home outfit. Food was great also! :)

I was in for 7 days so paying $200 for 7 days worth of food and medical care is pretty good to me!

And I liked the fact that I could choose my ob and develop a relationship with them - someone who knew me and my medical background etc. and would be the one to deliver my bub. I was a lot more comfortable knowing this.

[Ange&Seth]

Hi guys

I worked in Admissions in a private hospital for 2 and a half years, so I thought I'd give you the run down of the costs involved for the hospital

In regards to the 'gap' you'll have to pay, it's whatever your level of cover with your health insurer states. For example, if the level of cover you chose to have with your insurer means you have to pay $1000 excess or $200 excess, then that is what you have to pay. This isn't a charge from the hospital, it is an agreement that you have already made with your insurer when you joined up with them.

Other charges you may need to pay are telephone costs and if you have any items which are classed as 'Take Home Items' such as baby slings, pressure stockings, stuff like that.

Have I explained this well enough!!!!

Also, just to put it into persperctive, if you didn't have private health insurance, and you went to a private hospital and had a Vaginal Delivery, the costs would be somewhere around the $4000 mark, and if you had a caesa then that would cost approx $5000. And then, if you have a caesa you have to pay for the anaesthetist, and they are BL**DY EXPENSIVE!!

I'm glad I've got Private Insurance now, I didn't have it when I found out I was pregnant with DS so I had to go Public and share a room. Not that that's a big problem coz I'm still friends with the girl I was in hospital with, but it was really noisy.

Anyway, I've :ecomcity: :ecomcity: 'd enough - gonna go away now :yes:

[littlepickle]

private hospital for me :-) I like the idea of having my own room and possibly own bathroom!
My other out of pocket expenses were about $1200 this includes all of the obstetrician appointments and ultrasounds. Private ins only coverys you while you are in hospital so you will still have to pay for your obstetrician appointments and scans etc - then claim some back from Medicare.
I had to pay a $1000 delivery fee to the obstetrician but as I had reached my medibank threshold, I got most of that back
So, Out of pocket expenses before going to hospital - $1200
On leaving hospital - $200

[little_fish]

Thanks Ange and littlepickle, That helps. i am slowly building up a picture of how this all works. I am still astounded that you can have private insurance and need to pay so much for the out of hospital things, but as long as you know how the system works, I guess it's not too bad. I'll have to make a trip to medicare and medibank private and ask details of what they cover.

Any more stories would still be greatly appreciated :thumbsup:

[TillieAndBug]

okay - I wondered if I could ask a question here - I am going public cos we arrived in Oz in July I fell pregnant in September and we hadnt sorted health insurance...plus there a waiting period I wouldnt have met...but a friend did say to me you can choose to pay to have your own obstetrician but still go public...does anyone know about this?? Just so far I happy with public care...and thinking for the next one may go public again but would kind of like to have more appoints with a doctor...as have felt a bit blind throughout this pregnancy until last couple of appoints with midwives...any anmswers to this gratefully received :D Know we should get pricate insurance but at the mo the 100+ dollars a month would cripple us...

[talon]

i don't know a great deal about it but am pretty sure that you can pay to have a private ob. i don't know if you would have to pay exactly the same fee as someone who had private health/private ob or whether there is a different payment schedule altogether.

maybe see your GP and discuss it with them or ring around to a couple of ob's and ask them whether you are able to do it, and if so, what the scheduled fees would be?

maybe there is someone else here who may be able to tell you from actual experience though... :)

[littlepickle]

You can have shared care with a private obs, and then have bub in a public hospital. My sister did that. She saw a private ob up until about 25 or 30 weeks I think. She then had all of her medical records sent to the public hospital where the midwives took over. Its quite common I think. There hae been loads of good things said about the midwife led care though, so unless there are any probs, it might be easier for you to do that from the start as you might build up a better relationship with the midwives. Another option is to hire your own private midwife who can attend your birth wherever you give birth

[bpato]

Hi

I have medibank private cover, and as already metioned only had to outlay my excess of $200.00 for hospital.

My OB/GYN was a members choice doctor which meant I din't have to pay anything extra for the birth of DS. I only had to pay her consult cost and her preg managment fee.

My OB/GYN was DR Eva Kreowitcz. She was fantasic. She is based on the Terrace and delivers at the Mater Mothers Private and Public (for those on an intermediate cover or wanting to go public with private doc)

Hope this has helped

Belinda

PS had DS at Mater Mothers Private

[Ange&Seth]

Yes, you can pay a private obs to deliver your bub in a public hospital. However, that obs must have admitting rights to the public hospital you're in. Not all drs have admitting rights at every hospital. It costs them money to get those rights, so if a dr has only private patients, then they might not be able to deliver at a public hospital. Did that make sense?

In regards to how much it costs, the bugger of the thing with specialists is that there isn't any rule that says how much they can charge. There are scheduled fee's but the specialists can charge however much they want above that and you have to pay it. If you're going to call around and find out which obs have admitting rights at the public hospital, then ask how much it will cost not just what the scheduled fee's are. Don't get stung!

[little_fish]

Hi bpato, thanks for your info :thumbsup:
Can I ask you a couple of things :confused: About how much were her consult cost and her preg managment fee (i.e. are they a couple of hundred or a thousand?)
Did you you have a VB or a caeser? (And did you find DR Eva Kreowitcz particularly pro VBs?)
And what/where is the terrace? I have heard it mentioned before but still haven't worked out what it is.

[CarolineF]

The Terrace is Wickham Terrace in the centre of Brisbane - lots of private doctors have their consulting rooms there - e.g. Watkins Medical Centre. don't know where this dr is from though. If you look her up on a google search or by searching "Obstetricians in Brisbane" you will find her address.:detective:

Good Luck.:fingerscrossed:

[little_fish]

:) Thanks Caroline :)

[bpato]

Hi little fish

Sorry to take a while to get back to you.

She is at Alexandra House 401 Wickam Terrace, but also visit Platnium Medical centre at Chermside aand North West Specail Clinic at everpton Park.

Her intial consult fee is $120.00 and includes at dating scan. Her subsequent cosulta are $65.00. Her preg managment fee was $1000.00, which I was told my Medicare was one of the cheapest as a ot of provate doc charge upwards of the $1500 mark.

I found her fantastic. Very supportive of my views, and willing to spend the time to answer all my ??? as it was our first. I palnned a VB but unfornatunately things didn't go to plan and ended up having an emergency c/s. The c/s was my decision after 28 hours of labour and having been put on oxyctin to start labour again. I didn't feel pressured to go down the track of the c/s from her, rather supportive of my decsion as to what I thought was best for me at the time.

Hope this has helped, and makes sense.

Belinda

[little_fish]

Thanks Belinda, That's a terrific lot of info! :thumbsup: I really appreciate you sharing it with me :)

[bpato]

Your welcome. Hope it has helped.

Belinda

[MumToBeFlick]

Hi all,

This is going to sounds pretty dumb, but after two visits to my OB I have only just found out today by complete accident that it is up to me to book into the hospital to give birth and not up to my OB. I am very frustrated considering that I asked my OB more than once if there was anything that I needed to do in relation to contacting the hospital and he said that there was not. I guess many of you probably think "who wouldn't know that you had to book in yourself" but honestly after 9 nephews and nieces in my family and a mother who is a nurse I have never been under the impression that it is my responsibility. I feel pretty silly right now and am frantically trying to get a booking in today to my chosen hospital. I am rather worried that I won't be able to get in at this late stage (I am 19 weeks) so fingers crossed.

Am I the only clueless Mum-to-Be on the planet?

[talon]

Don't worry - I didn't know until I was pregnant that I was responsible for this. My ob did have the grace to tell me though! He gave me all the forms I would need for both of the private hospitals in my area. I didn't decide until late in my pregnancy or book in. I got in fine - i got the impression that they didn't get "booked out" though. Or maybe that it just in my city? Unsure - sorry.

[lil_rabbits_mummy]

i was going to go private at first. but after my first appointment at the ob/gyno i was reffered to (who i really didnt like), which cost i think about $200 just for the visit. i got back almost 100 from medicare. that i decided to go public. and everything has been FREE so far (except my U/S at 20wks because i got a 4D one, it was wonderful, cost us one or two hundred i think).
i was told when asking at HBF about family cover 3-4months ago that it costs about $6000 private all-up. so its MUCH cheaper public, and you get treated much the same way.

[twins+another]

I found that with private, I was guaranteed a private room, they provided pretty much everything I needed to look after bub in hospital including clothes, cloth nappies, bathing stuff, bunny rugs etc. I really just had to bring a going home outfit. .


That was all provided in a public hospital when I had my twins too

[OscarTheGrouch]

My out of pocket expensives were as follows:
Original OB appointment - $150 (approx $80 back from medicare)
OB gap - $4500 (approx $3200 back from medicare)
U/S's - $450 (approx $150 back from medicare)
Nil payment required for private hospital stay as this was all covered by my private health insurance.

[bigglet]

I went private and the hospital didn't even provide me with a box of tissues! (let alone anything for the baby - had to bring that all in)
I asked the midwife if I could have some tissues (had to use toilet paper in the meantime) and she asked what for!! Then she said "we don't provide that honey" so had to ring my DH to bring some in from home!!!
BTW - this was being a private patient in a public hospital so I think it is very different to being in a private hospital. :banghead:

[ralex]

Hi Everyone,

I'm an overseas visiter and I have been very fortunate to get a Temporary Work visa for 2 years but I found out I am pregnant with my second child (I just graduated from uni and this is my first job after uni). This has been really stressful and tiring for me as I had wanted to build my career in Australia before I went back home. Also I am the breadwinner as my hubby is at home with our 2yr old daughter and he does not have tertiary qualifications and I am unsure how we will manage if I get too sick to work anymore. In addition as I have only started work, I am unsure if my employer will give me Maternity Leave as under NSW Industrial relations law, an employee should have worked for a minimum of 12 months before maternity leave can be granted by the employer.
Anyways my main concern, is my family and I only came to Sydney a 3 weeks ago but I am about 8 weeks pregnant and still have not taken out a private health membership. I asked about the Visitor Health Cover and was told that the waiting period is 12 months for Obstertics services. That means I will have to pay for all pregnancy related costs myself as the baby will be due before in less than 12 months.

I would therefore like to ask for any advice/information as to how much a public hospital labour and delivery would cost me and also about antenantal care visits. Like should I see a public hospital antenantal clinic or a local GP etc and how much will each cost me per visit etc. I really am hoping that someone out there can give me some helpful and urgent advice on the costs involved as it will assist me greatly. I might have to go back home to have the baby if I can not afford it.
Therefore I would like to ask anyone out there who has been in a similar situation or who would have some info to write back to me or reply to my post.

Thank you all for reading and hope to hear from you soon..and sorry about the long story......

Cheers

Ralex

[Silvana]

Ralex, everything in a public hospital is completely free, unless you want additonal scans such as the 4D scan. All antenatal visits are free. Delivery is free. There are no upfront costs at all.

Go see your GP and after blood tests for confirmation, they will send a letter to your closest maternity public hospital and your first antenatal appointment will be set up for you. This is usually between 12-16 weeks, usually closer to the 12 week mark.

The GP won't cost you unless, the GP is private and does not bulk bill. If the GP does bulk bill, you won't pay a cent.

Australia is lucky to be one of the few westernised countries left where birth and obstretic services can still be offered for free and without diminishing in quality. Hope this helps. :)

[sirrah]

Um, free care in the public hospital may not be the case, depending on whether you've immigrated here or not (from my understanding). It might be worthwhile talking to your GP or local hospital to find out more (or talk to someone in medicare)

Hope it all works out okay for you. :)

[theycallmemum]

This isn't correct. I remember when I had my last baby there seemed to be a lot of overseas patients in the waiting room and they always had to pay for each appointment and also pay for the hospital stay and this was in a private hospital.

[kimberlee]

Actually I was on a temporary working visa and had kidney problems - spent 3 days in hospital and I had to pay for all of it when I left the hospital - actually even more because I wasn't a resident (instead of 500 a night I was charged 1100 a night) I lucked out because my job had provided me with some overseas travel insurance so I got most of it back.
I got pregnant before we got our permanent residency so for half of my pregnancy I had to pay for all my appointments and ultrasounds - even at the hosptial - then we were accepted as permanent residents - left the country to get our visas and came back and qualified for medicare about 2 weeks later - from then on my pregnancy was covered by medicare.

[zada]

DD - 2004 public hospital
$20 each GP appt. approx 10 visits
1 scan approx $160 rebate of about $100
delivery etc free
total = $260

DS - 2006 public hospital
i paid $59 every GP appt i think there was about 6 all up? (midwives appt for the rest) got about $30 back each time.
i had 1 scan which was free
delivery etc free even had my own room and ensuite :D
total = $174

[verybusymama]

Ralex, everything in a public hospital is completely free, unless you want additonal scans such as the 4D scan. All antenatal visits are free. Delivery is free. There are no upfront costs at all.

Go see your GP and after blood tests for confirmation, they will send a letter to your closest maternity public hospital and your first antenatal appointment will be set up for you. This is usually between 12-16 weeks, usually closer to the 12 week mark.

The GP won't cost you unless, the GP is private and does not bulk bill. If the GP does bulk bill, you won't pay a cent.

Australia is lucky to be one of the few westernised countries left where birth and obstretic services can still be offered for free and without diminishing in quality. Hope this helps. :)

ummm...she is an overseas visitor, it will not be free :no: