We have private health insurance and we found that we paid around $1000 in out of pocket expenxes when DS was born. Is that the norm? I've spoken about it with the ins provider and I still don't understand why we paid so much. Does this happen to everyone??

With DD1, the only out of pocket expenses that I had was $800 for my epidural.

With DD2, there were no out of pocket expenses.

Did you use a "no gap" specialist?

Sorry, I'm in NZ, so you can't really compare but...

DS - $20 for an ultrasound

DD - $25 for an ultrasound (the price went up!)


And that's it.

We were probably out of pocket that much as well for my son going private, including anethetist (sp), theatre etc. For my daughter born just this year, I was not covered, as after my son was born I thought, thats it, no more for me, and subsequently changed our cover back then so obstretics was not included, thus us being out of pocket $7,000 all inclusive, eeeeeekkkkk. God, what a bloody shock that was. Serve myself right though. So, yeah, it's about right then.

I had an elective C/S. My health insurance covered the whole hospital account.

DD1 and DD2 both with private obstetricians and I was out about $1000. $600 was the out of pocket for the OB. Then there was almost $300 excess on my private health insurance cover and another $100 for the 2 ultrasounds I had.

DD3 cost me about $20 for an ultrasound. I went public with her and the care I got was the same as the other two. The only thing worse was the food. But I'd go public again if I was ever to have another child.

WAY To much for the first one - PRIVATE
0.00 for the 2nd one - PUBLIC

and i would do it again - but im never doing it again !!

Mards

We paid nothing for the delivery x3 and hospital stay x3 because it was public.

However, all the ultrasounds and additonal tests I had done during the pregs were VERY expensive. I had a lot of tests and things due to complications in my first preg loss at 18 weeks.

I never worried about the money of course because we needed to keep a close eye on the pregs but it wasn't cheap - that's for sure.

Same here! How on earth did we manage that!!

Had both mine in NZ, so everything was FREE... and the absolute best experiences all round.

HeatherLocklear - totally agree.

If you include ivf etc & complications needing specialist care/several hospital admissoins/pead fees for micropremmie we paid in excess of $25k for the best lil man in the world.

the gap for the nuchal scan... other than that, NOTHING! we have no other choice than to go public here in my town though.

Of course DS was worth it, but we were SHOCKED that we were out of pocket $2,400!!!! I was extremely p*ssed that my GP just sent me off to this Ob without anyone really explaining what the fees/charges would be - I did know what my insurance would cover but didn't realise the Ob and hospital could just chuck in any old fee they wanted!! And my Ob was away when I had DS so I had some stranger anyway - not that I cared but you know, for $2,400 it would've been nice to have him there!

DH kept asking the Ob's receptionist 'is this the last fee' and she would say yep... then at the hospital, they wouldn't discharge us until we paid the $400 for... don't know what really!

Mine was a straightforward birth, no c-section - I did have an epidural though, thankfully that was covered!

I would never go private again. Everyone else I know went public and 99% of them were thrilled with the care they received and the fact they paid zero.

all mine were done public, I don't see the point in having PHI for obstetrics, everyone I've known who has had it has forked out heaps for the PHI and then still had to pay the dr and for bloodtests and u/s, just so their husbands can spend the night in their room and get fed, hell we've got a bed at home and he cooks better than I do anyway!

The only thing we've had to pay for is for the NT scan that I just had done and that's only cause some twit of a Dr (I don't like Dr's) didn't write the right thing on the referral which would have had it bulkbilled, and another Dr wouldn't fix it unless I went back to see them (more $ for them) (I was already at the u/s place) cause he couldn't see why I needed it, that's why you have it done cause you don't have xray eyes and you can't see inside my stomach! Sorry this is turning into a vent!

So in all we've paid $77 for nearly 4 kids.

I didn't find that at all. Our DS had viral meningitis at 6wks old and everyone was fantastic and again FREE. We saw specialists afterwards due to hearing tests, paed visits etc, and many follow ups - again all FREE. He had reflux too, and we didn't have to pay to see the best Paediatrician in Chch. If your child needs to go to the doctor in NZ, all children under the age of 5 are free, and you pay very minimal for prescriptions (ie. $2.50 for antibiotics) If you chose to go privately then yes you pay, but personally I found the public system fantastic. Also, you don't pay for the Ambulance on your power bill in NZ like you have to here (Qld) We've spent more here in Aus in the last 3yrs (and they hardly ever go to the doctor!) in the public system on our children than we ever did in NZ (including their births) Medicare doesn't cover everything here we've found - always seems to be extra to pay iykwim.

Having said all that though, we are very happy with the system in both counties... I only have to think of 3rd world places overseas and it makes me realise how lucky we are.

I thought it was brought in that all children under 16 (in Aus) were to be bulk billed. Is that not the case?

I have no idea as we hardly ever go to the doctor and when we do our GP has always bulk billed anyway for adults and children.
I know my sister had her children bulk billed under our old GP who didn't normally bulk bill, he always had about a $15 out of pocket gap.

My first two cost us thousands in IVF so weren't free: luckily we got the 2 for 1 deal though .

Seriously though with this baby the OB was about $2300 and we got approx $1500 of that back, probably so far another $200 in scans etc. We have an excess of $500 on our PHI and it is $50 a night for DH to stay at the hospital with us. So probably about $1500 all up there PLUS from memory last time I had to pay for the anaesthetist and 6 week paed check-up. Will come in at under $2000 though for the private hospital, OB etc. of our choice (if all goes to plan and we make it there in time LOL!)

For us we aren't having the baby in our home town so mum is coming down to look after the boys for the week so it will be about another $800 for their accomodation however for me this is totally worth it as I couldn't go a week without my boys . So this cost is totally our choice of course.

Now if you want to get technical we had to buy another pram to hold all the kids($450), another carseat ($200), another cot ($350) and more nappies ($500). Soooooooooooooooooooo I figure with the government giving us about $4000 to have it we break about even . I mean we really only had a baby for the baby bonus and all!

I totally thank my lucky stars to be in this country though to give birth. Won't claim it is perfect or anything but when you compare it to some poorer countries healthcare ours is outstanding or if you compare it to say America ours is very cheap! I have read about some of the medical bills people walk out of hospital with over there

Paula, if you are referring to me, please note that other than making comparisons to living in the two countries in threads, I've NEVER complained about everything to do with living in Aus!! I've always appreciated (and mentioned) the highs and lows of each. We love living in Aus, and we love lots about NZ.



Re: children under 6 being free in NZ - my family and friends children DO still go to the GP for free. Whether or not that depends on the GP I don't know...



Totally agree Cat, we are very very lucky with the lives we live...

The only people who get charged anything at our GP, are new patients unless they are under 16yrs old.

For her birth and after birth care in NICU(she was a premmie). 38K
For the IVF treatment to concieve her. 20K

Holding her in my arms for the first time when she was 2 weeks old.....Priceless!!

I think it does depend on the GP. I've never had to pay anything to go to the GP for my kids as they're under 6, but I know that some GPs charge $5 or $10 per visit. As for adults, it USED to be very expensive ($55!) but it's recently gone down to $25, so much more manageable. Still cheaper than paying PHI bills monthly though, as I recently looked into PHI and found that the premiums alone were about ten times more than what we'd spend on medical stuff a year anyway.

To the OP, anything out of hospital is only claimable through Medicare up to the schedule fee, so if provider charges more than the schedule fee then you pay the out of pockets. Anything in hopital you would have to use a no gap provider to assume 100% cover. This includes all providers who provides care, ob, aneathtist (sp) to you. You may have had an excess as well.

Paula - Sorry, I wasn't referring to your post mainly 2cuties4us where she said all children under 6 are free at the doctors in NZ. I was just stating that all children under 16 are bulk billed in Australia or so I thought.

..

Oh I got excited there for a minute as I have to pay for the boys at our preferred doctor! Can make for a rather expensive 15 minutes when I take both of them LOL!

Thanks Jodi. I knew something had been brought in but didn't take a lot of notice as my GP bulk bills all patients.

Thanks!
Liz

My children were born in public hospitals - the only out-of-pocket expenses we had were for parking, tv and ultrasounds.

All i have ever had to pay was for parking and food for DP at the hospital.
All my midwife care, ultrasounds, birthing care and all the other things associated with having a baby was covered byt he public health system.

Re the bulk billing- not all GPs will bulk bill kids even, my old dr never did, even if i asked. Am very grateful that we now have a fantastic clinic nearby that bulk bills everybody, yet you can usually see the same dr every time! Just as well, as if i had to pay $50 or $60 every time the kids saw a GP, just in the last two weeks i would have gone broke! (3 kids x 3 visits each, plus me x 2 = ).

My children were born in public hosptial. We paid for the use of phone, tv and car parking. Had I stayed in hospital longer we would have gotten a discount for parking.

My friend Kate gave birth and was out of pocket by around $2K, the only differance we could find was the colour of the rooms and and the view out of the window.

DS - private - about $1000 for ob and ultrasound fees during the pregnancy. We paid no gap for hospital stay, theatre, anaesthetist fees (He was born naturally but I had to have repair work done the day after), paediatrician visit.

DD - public - $120 for tests during pregnancy, $650 for doula. Homebirth - free! (I'd like to say 'priceless' but then I'd sound like the ad campaign...)

OMG, are you in Aust? That is so expensive!!

My GP doesn't bulk-bill bubs - but I love him , he's always fantastic, so I don't mind. Unlike a bulk-bill centre up the road - hopeless

Yes my GP does BB the under 16's which is great when you keep getting told "its a virus" go home....

Pre gap and medicare my OBGYN is about $1300, the u/s about $125 and the anesthetist for the c-section about $400 and the assistant about $100.

So inc medicare for DS1 it was about $1000 (pre gap thing) and cant remember after that as i didnt want to count!

this was private- and i know i could go public and not pay a cent- but i want to chose my DR and i like having my own room and other luxuries! we dopnt go on holidays and stay in motels etc... so to me its like a mini holiday (some major diff tho)... then i come home with a baby!

DD, we paid nothing for pregnancy care and to birth in a public hospital.

DS1, again, we paid nothing for pregnancy care and to birth in a public hospital.

DS2, we paid $480 ($2400 before PHI rebate was paid) for a private midwife to provide pregnancy care and to attend us while I birthed at home. It would have been $400, but my GP forgot to tick a box and the pathology collecting centre I went to charged me, instead of bulk billing.

Wow Isis I hadn't realised that PHI could cover a Private Midwife. That is great! Congratulations on your new baby.

1st one I had just taken out PHI only to find out I was pregnant a week later - so went public - only cost was $50 out of pocket for 18w U/S - all appointments at anantal clinic at hospital which was free. Also got a private room in the hospital after the birth.

So total public
$50

2nd - decided to go private - I had NRMA at the time which paid 100% of the OB no matter the cost - but this was hospital not appointments etc. So out of pocket was $20 a appointment, think there was about 10 appointments = $200. 3 U/S at $50 out of pocket = $150 and then hospital excess, was $200 for the 5 days stay at 34 weeks, then $250 for the birth (my excess plan was $50 a day to a max. of $250 each stay). However NRMA did give you a baby present bonus which I got $250 to pay towards any baby related things - so kinda took the excess.

I did see other specialists in hospital at my 34w stay however they were no gap doctors so PHI paid for them completely.

So total out of pocket costs for going private
$200 (appointments)
$150 (U/S)
$450 (Hospital stay excess)
-$250 (bonus from PHI)
Total Cost = $550

With blood tests etc, lucikly here they are bulk billed so U/S are the only tests with a out of pocket, doesn't matter if your public or private.

To be honest I had no differences, my boys were delievered in the same hospital - yes I had my ob at the birth but the midwife could have easily done it like my 1st. Both times I got a private room with a bathroom. However with private you were transferred after the birth to the private hospital that had better views, gave you a present teddy, and a candlelight dinner with your DH while they babysitted - including older kids for you and unlimited local calls.

Next time I'm going public again.

3 kids, all public, few ultrasounds with each, no cost. Parking free if you parked out on the street.

Thanks Catnat, congratulations back to you for your pregnancy HBA were running a pilot program where they would rebate either $1500 or $2000 (depending on the date that you expressed interest) towards the cost of a private midwife attend a birth at home. Unfortunately the pilot program has ended, with no date set for it to be officially implemented..