out of pocket expense in public hospital as private patient

[cpadang]

Hi everyone,

Just would like to know if anyone ever had elective cesarean in public hospital as private patient (in Sydney), how much out of pocket expense did you pay?

I am currently with Medibank private, Mid hospital with $250 excess. The doctor at Prince of Wales Private hospital said my out of pocket of obstetrician $3200, anesthesist $1000, assistant $500 and hospital $250, so in total around $5000. The doctor doesn't participate in gap cover scheme.

I am just wondering whether or not the out of pocket expenses would be cheaper if you deliver in public hospital as private patient. Has anyone ever had e/c before? could you share how much your out of pocket expenses were?

Thank you

[earlgrey]

it would depend on the hospital and the OB but it would be cheaper. Do you have a private OB in mind? Do they deliver at the public hospital?
If you can find one who does that would be the way to go. Once you do that both the OB and hospital should give you item numbers so you can call medibank and get an idea of your costs.

[wigglemum]

It really does depend on the hospital.

I had 3 x elective CS at RPA and no out of pocket expences. They just take what they can form the health fund. I had an excess too which they waivered. And alot of public hospitals are like this. Royal North Shore too waiver excess and Westmead doesnt - they want all the money they can get!! Good luck

[TripleTime]

I was a private in a public in Newcastle. I wasn't out of pocket at all, emergency section included.


It's my phone & I'll cry if I want to.

[oddmumout]

I had my bub as a private patient in public hospital without being covered - because I had my own OB. Originally charges were $275 a day for accomodation which medicare doesn't cover. Anethetist apparently $1200 and not covered. The baby is covered for everything under medicare. Everything else - i.e pathology - will be registered to your private health fund and won't be covered by medicare - so make sure your fund covers it.
The hospital covered all expenses only because my health fund screwed up but I did find out that they like to have a certain number of "private" patients on their books so to speak.

If you're having a planned CS do you not have your own OB already? Sadly those fees cannot be rebated through medicare - however....you can either use your baby bonus to pay for it, or write it off against your tax. It's worth talking to an accountant.

Good luck :fingerscrossed:

[hawkeye]

i had my second son as a private patient with http://www.hcf.com.au/Topics/details.asp?topicID=1&member_id=Guest (http://www.hcf.com.au/Topics/details.asp?topicID=1&member_id=Guest)in a public hospital...

my only costs were my gp visits...that was it...did not receive any other bills?

[FloatingFairy]

If you're going to pay all of that and do it all in a public hospital, you might as well pay all that and do it in a private hospital if your PHI covers it.

I went private all the way, ended up with emergnecy c/s and probs paid around the amounts you mentioned in your OP - can't remember exaclty, but the bill for the hosp was well over $6k and I didnt pay a cent for it :)

[MyCheekyMonkey]

I went private in a private hospital with Medibank, and had similar out of pocket expenses due to the C Section as you have mentioned (anesthesist, assistant, paediatrician etc.), but Medibank ended up covering a portion of it and Medicare covered another huge portion, so in the end I probably only ended up being out of pocket for those things a few hundred dollars compared to over 1k.

If you go as a private patient in a public hospital, will you be using the same OB? If so, there's no way to avoid that $3,200 out of pocket OB expense, so you might as well just go to a private hospital?

[oddmumout]

I went private in a private hospital with Medibank, and had similar out of pocket expenses due to the C Section as you have mentioned (anesthesist, assistant, paediatrician etc.), but Medibank ended up covering a portion of it and Medicare covered another huge portion, so in the end I probably only ended up being out of pocket for those things a few hundred dollars compared to over 1k.

If you go as a private patient in a public hospital, will you be using the same OB? If so, there's no way to avoid that $3,200 out of pocket OB expense, so you might as well just go to a private hospital?


Just to clarify for others who read this thread: If you go into a public hospital as a private patient with your own OB medicare will not cover you. I have this in writing from Royal North Shore.

I am concerned and confused with regard to the out of pocket expenses with Medibank Private. I just sat across the desk from the Medibank woman 2 days ago who assured me my CS's in future are covered and even said my TV rental is covered. This was because my hospital of choice being North Shore Private is on their "preferred" list.

Oh and my OB was $5000 so whomever you're with is a bargain!

Anyway, hope this helps :confused:

[narribri]

I am with MEdibank Private and had my DD as a private patient in a public hospital. I didn't pay a cent, there wasn't even an excess which I fully expected to have to pay. I didn't have a cs or an epidural though so can't help there.