Costs of having a baby

**Izy** · 22-09-2010 17:06

but vanessa i went pvt in a facility with high cs rates, had a pretty borderline birth (apgar of 2 @birth-he HAD to come out and quick) but i still had a vb with no stitches. Statistics can show what you want them too. If it's a 'high risk' hub of course it'll have high cs rates. You're better of asking anecdotally (did i just make up a word?) to see if people got the birth of their choice.

Does that make sense or am i talking in riddles again? (stupid end of wrk day no brains)

**diana811** · 14-10-2010 20:04

Hey,

I'm having my second baby and decided to change obstetrician. Has anyone had or heard of Dr Ian Fulcher from Liverpool Private? Anyway, i found out from Medibank website that he is a preferred provider for Gap Cover. Does anyone understand how this gap cover works?

**notoverlymaternal** · 15-10-2010 13:51

My understanding of the Gap cover is minimal, but this is how I understand it.

Basically - hang on, let me get my paperwork, it says you will have no out of pocket expenses, or you will know how much exactly you will have to pay.

Sorry, that was no help.

I dont get it either. Beware that PHI wont cover your OBs costs at all, PHI only covers costs while you are admitted in hospital. So the GAP cover thing applies to your hospital stay only. I'm assuming my hospital stay won't cost anything because of this Gap thing.

**diana811** · 18-10-2010 09:51

Thanks for that. it can be so confusing. I hate that i pay top cover for PHI and it only covers what happens in the hosiptal. Mind you, last time i had a baby hospital costs came to $945 (which was covered by medicare and PHI) whereas prenatal costs came to $3200.... where was PHI then?! Can you use health insurance as a public patient but so that you get your own room?

**Izy** · 18-10-2010 10:03

you can in some cases. It's up to the hospital. Call the patient liason officer and let them know you want to be treated like if you were public by the medical staff, but if they can technically class you as private for the admission/room/tv newspaper side of things

**Janesmum123** · 18-10-2010 13:09

WOW this is really eye opening, some people are paying a lot to have a baby.

And I thought PHI covered everything.
Guess I was wrong, I had mine public so I didn't know.

A lot to think about.

**goldencrumble** · 18-10-2010 13:24

I am due for #1 in Feb 2010 and am going private in Melbourne.

My ob costs are below:

1st appointment: $100 (Item No 104: rebate $68.75)
All other appointments: $50 (Item No: 16500: rebate $37.90
Preg Management Fee: $2500 (Item No: 16590 rebate $260.40) I will get more than that back as that payment will make me reach the medicare safety net, although I believe its capped at around $400-500

Our hospital excess is $500 which will cover our stay in private hospital.

Just thought I would share a few of our costs.

**ames80** · 13-01-2011 22:20

Hi all,
I hope that this year will be my year and I will be fortunate enough to finally get pregnant (I have m.s so it's a complicated situation!)
I really want to understand these costs! I called up an ob I thought I liked and was told his first app fee is $250, scans $70 each, then each app $130. I would get some of this back from Medicare. The 20 week fee is $2900. The obs admin lady said I would get around $468 back from Medicare. I told all this to my insurance company being Manchester unity. They told me they cover 75% and Medicare cover 25% but why did she say Medicare would only cover $468? That's not $25% !!!!
tell me if this is right?...
468 x 4 = 1872 work of what the remaining 75% is = 75% of 1872 =1404
so Medicare will pay 468, private cover covers 1404 I pay the rest (468+1404-2900=1028)
so I pay 1028 plus the other app costs etc which I should get some of that back from Medicare.

What if I have a sec section how much do anesthetists charge and what do you get back.
Do you have to pay any more fees to the hospital to stay there?

I'm so overwhelmed trying to get it!
I would really love some help please!

**garfield13** · 14-01-2011 08:46

The think she is probably referring to labour /post birth / hospital costs

It may of changed, but last time I looked into it about 6mths ago, no private health fund cover any of the pre birth costs, only some small medicare rebates.
So for me, my obs 20wk & 32wk fees add up to around $3500 & Ill only get a few hundred back, the rest is out of pocket. This covers all appts, scans (with ob only(not nt or 20wk) and birth / hospital costs regardless of type of birth - except if an anthes is needed (& if it is a csect a paed must be present too, so there is a gap for that to pay) all you pay for the hospital (apart from aneth / paed if needed) is your excess, if you have one.
So when we finally fall pg, we will be out of pocket
$120-150 for 12wk scan
$120-150 for 20wk scan
aprx $2000 for 20wk ob fee
aprx $1500 for 32wk ob fee
$500 excess for hospital
extras could be:
anesth (out of pocket could be between $200-900)
Paed (put of pockets would vary in this too - we had one come twice while in with dd & we were out about $250)

**Izy** · 14-01-2011 11:07

Originally Posted by ames80

Hi all,
I hope that this year will be my year and I will be fortunate enough to finally get pregnant (I have m.s so it's a complicated situation!)
I really want to understand these costs! I called up an ob I thought I liked and was told his first app fee is $250, scans $70 each, then each app $130. I would get some of this back from Medicare. The 20 week fee is $2900. The obs admin lady said I would get around $468 back from Medicare. I told all this to my insurance company being Manchester unity. They told me they cover 75% and Medicare cover 25% but why did she say Medicare would only cover $468? That's not $25% !!!!
tell me if this is right?...
468 x 4 = 1872 work of what the remaining 75% is = 75% of 1872 =1404
so Medicare will pay 468, private cover covers 1404 I pay the rest (468+1404-2900=1028)
so I pay 1028 plus the other app costs etc which I should get some of that back from Medicare.

What if I have a sec section how much do anesthetists charge and what do you get back.
Do you have to pay any more fees to the hospital to stay there?

I'm so overwhelmed trying to get it!
I would really love some help please!

It's 25% of the medicare schedule of fees for the item and 75% of the MSF.
Issue is that the dr's often charge more than the MSF.

Good news is that you may be entitled to claim some of the out of pocket through the medicare safety net.