Originally I didn't know that going private meant that you would be out of pocket at all. I thought you pay your private health insurance every month and you're sweet! I feel so stupid and naive for even thinking that. I guess i assumed you would pay for your OB visits but not $6000?! I remember when i met with my doctor and he said that going private meant that we would be out of pocket between $3000 & $4000 which of course is steep but we thought we could just manage that if it meant i would get the best care.
Ive been trying to research the difference between private and public health cover when pregnant and these things seem to be the main differences:
PUBLIC:
- you are offered shared care, so you can see your GP plus visits to the hospital but you are not guaranteed the same OB each time you visit or at the birth.
- you could get a doctor in training
- you will most likely share a room with other mothers
- the length of stay after birth is a lot shorter than if you are private
- no costs involved other than you normal GP rates.
- harder to get the epidural or other drugs if you ask
- the attention to the patient (ME) is not at the top of their list
- fathers cannot stay overnight
PRIVATE:
- you get to choose your OB that will be with you throughout the whole pregnancy and birth. i like this because it makes me feel a little more secure because i have no idea whats happening to my body!
- private room unless fully booked
- longer stay (upto 5 days with vaginal birth) in hospital
- they often have night nurseries where they will care for the newborn while the mother catches up on some sleep and recovers from the birth. Some offer a double bed for the father to stay.
- you have to pay up front . can be anywhere between $2,000 - $10,000 direct to your OB
- health insurance covers you if they are fully booked and you need to recover at a nearby resort hotel (grand hyatt)
to me the main differences are in the actual care and who you see. its important for me to see the same OB and get to know the person who will be delivering my baby. It also helps that i will be put in a more private room and be able to have Eben stay with me. Comfort is important especially when i am pretty nervous about the whole labour experience. I want to make sure that if i have concerns about myself or my baby that someone will be able to help me promptly. The last thing i want is to be waiting around all day with discomfort and worry.
Anyway today resulted in me cold calling private OB offices and asking whether they had any availability. It didn't start out too good because everyone i rang was booked out, including this office that i will be going through. I rang this office and spoke to a lovely lady names Louise. I told her my situation and she gave me a few numbers to try. One of the numbers she gave me was all booked out but a kind lady on the other line gave me another number to try. I rang it and it happened to be the previous lady i called! I wasnt keeping track of numbers so i felt like an idiot but it was a good thing i called again but she said she felt terrible for me and would try and ring around and see if she could possibly fit me in with a "sympathy vote" haha. She was really great and BAM she got me in with a lady in their OB clinic! It will still cost us $4,500 but its still a lot less than $6000. We are able to claim around $480 back with Medicare but thats about it. Im pretty happy with the end result, i feel a bit at ease now. My first appointment with my OB is on Tuesday week, so that should be interesting. The day started out in tears and now im happy with the result!
Sorry im typing this and i have COPS on in the background, im tired and im also thinking about having a piece of bread with butter and vegiemite on it ..... SO my words may be a bit all over the place... okay i think im going to have that piece of bread now!!!
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