Best option for cover since we're late?

[taththi]

My wife is 9 weeks into her pregnancy and we were reminded today by the hospital that our cover (NIB Hospital basics + extras) did not include hospital pregnancy cover.

After calling around frantically it seems that we're out of luck getting someone to upgrade us so that she will be covered for her pregnancy as they all stick to the maximum 12 months allowable by the Fed gov :(

The other issue is cover for bub. According to the consultants I called around there will be a 12 month waiting period, so we won't even have cover for bub until they're up to 5 months old!

Is anyone aware of some good options that might be exceptions to the norm as far as waiting periods go?

Regards,
Worried father-to-be

[NibbleCurlynBub]

Every private health fund I have called has a 12 month waiting period for maternity services.

Have you considered using the public system?

[taththi]

Every private health fund I have called has a 12 month waiting period for maternity services.

Have you considered using the public system?
Not really. My wife has a fibroid condition that she has been seeing her gynecologist/oncologist about who works out of the private hospital just around the corner from us, so I'd really doubt she would be comfortable with the public option.

[Mathermy]

try latrobe!:thumbsup:-they have 9 month wait on obstetrics-but I'm not sure how it works when u are changing providers:detective:

[taththi]

try latrobe!:thumbsup:-they have 9 month wait on obstetrics-but I'm not sure how it works when u are changing providers:detective:
they all consider pregnancy a pre-condition! :thumbsdown: i was googling around and noticed in the US it's illegal for them to do that there, but unfortunately here they all do it.

[taththi]

My other concern now is how to ensure that bub is covered from birth. Looks like that isn't a problem. I found some good plans on the CHOICE website: HealthPartners Silver Hospital 500 (Family) looks pretty good, and apparently has no waiting period for bub.

[kkaz]

You can just PAY to stay at the private hospital, and pay the obstetrician whatever he usually charges. You just won't be able to claim the "gap" back from your Health insurance provider.

There is no rule that says you can't do exactly what the privately insured do if you are happy to pay the bills. :yes: (and you can probably negotiate your obstetrician's fees a little more than those who are insured can, too)

You can pay the paediatrician the same way for your bubs...otherwise I wouldn't expect bubs would need much cover anyway.

Might end up costing you LESS than the increased premiums you would pay for the privilege of the cover ?!?

[taththi]

Yeh we are probably going to go down that path. Even if we had upgraded our cover with NIB they'd have only covered a percentage anyway. And I discovered that bub will be fine as there's no waiting period for family cover - bub will be covered as soon as they're born as long as we register within 30 days of birth.

Pretty excited though :)

[new2me]

Seriously don't overlook the public system. I am a private member and must admit I love it but if you wife does have a few complications and ends up having a complicated birth, she would most likely be transferred to a pulic hospital anyway. Public hospitals are the ones that deal with emergencies of serious/different nature. If bubs were unwell they would go to the public hospital too. Have you spoken to your obs/gyn? Does she have any recommendations for costs/cover?

[Paventia]

I've had a couple of friends who had complications with their deliveries and they were all public and can't sing the praises high enough. I on the other hand, was private and a little disappointed with a part of the delivery when the midwives would not let me push - even scolding me if they thought I was going to - until my obstetrician arrived...some 20 minutes AFTER the pushing urges began! Apparently, because I was private the ob HAD to deliver - not the midwives. Needless-to-say, that resulted in its own minor complications!

The thing I have been thinking lately is that it would have been much cheaper to just put some money aside every now and then and pay the private fees as opposed to the the many thousands we pay in private health premiums each year.

Also, when we had to admit bub through the ER when she was 20 days old due to serious illness, we were about to give them our insurance details when the Paed told us not to bother because she would be in the Special Care Nursery just like a public patient and would even have the same rostered paeds just like a public patient. There was absolutely no difference in care. So we did that and the care was fabulous! I got a special room to stay at the hospital so I could be on call to breastfeed and they couldn't have taken better care of bub. They were truly amazing.

I guess PHI is the 'peace of mind in case something requires oodles of money' option and I am seriously tossing up whether to keep it or just put the money away myself (if I can...:p)

That's my 2 cents worth anyway. And congratulations on the pregnancy, taththi! :goodvibes: