Does a baby need private health insurance?

**MelbourneManda** · 28-06-2012 12:54

I currently have singles cover and it will be an extra $100 a month to cover bub. I am giving birth in a public hospital so if there are any complications bub will be transferred to Royal Children's.

The insurance company tells me the baby will get the same cover as me but I can't imagine a newborn needing a great deal of physio and dental?

I am happy to pay if it would be worthwhile, can anyone give me some examples of when a young baby would need cover?

Thanks

**tjewell** · 28-06-2012 13:24

Wow that's crazy. We only have our bubs on ours as we had couple's one and we just added them with no extra cost.

**felicia81** · 28-06-2012 13:31

What a rip off!

We had couples cover but added our DS on at no extra cost.

It must be different if you only have singles cover to start with.

**RmumR** · 28-06-2012 13:36

If you have couples cover the baby just gets added on but if you have singles it costs extra

**MrJones&Me** · 28-06-2012 13:37

Originally Posted by RmumR

If you have couples cover the baby just gets added on but if you have singles it costs extra

not for me?

**amesv** · 28-06-2012 13:38

Same, if you have couples it just gets upgraded to familys at no extra cost.

**CitrusRain** · 28-06-2012 13:40

I had our bub on my singles phi but after a couple I hospitalisations as a newborn and having to go to the Children's anyway we cancelled it. There was no benefit for us really. As a private patient he had to go to the same hospital as public, same room as public, we needed to use the hospital Peads because of the situation. Really the only benefit for us would be if DS needed some surgery (tonsils etc) and we wanted to do it privately, in which case if we couldn't wait for the waiting period we'd just pay and get a personal loan if we didn't have the savings. Other things we'd probably be best at the (public) Children's hospy anyway.

**RmumR** · 30-06-2012 14:12

Originally Posted by Greenhorn

not for me?

Maybe it depends on the fund or level of cover

**Izy** · 30-06-2012 14:21

My son had grommets and adenoids done before his first birthday. He was profoundly deaf, constantly sick and suffering sleep apnoea. He had his second op 6 months later and had tonsils as well as adenoids again (regrew) and grommets again (came out but still had continual ear infections).

In the time he had two op's, many kids are still waiting for their first.

In some areas your child would get seen straight away. It just depends on waiting lists in your public hospitals.

As for extras- well I don't see the benefit (other than ambulance if you're in NSW).

**MsMummy** · 30-06-2012 14:24

I don't see the benefits of extras until they are a bit older (say 2 or 3 - we have used dental and speech therapy for my son, and could possibly use things like optical and podiatrist in the future).

I wouldn't be without good hospital cover, as I am very concerned about waiting lists in public hospitals (we're in Qld). My brother-in-law is currently having a terrible time with the hospital for an operation that should have been done months ago.