Public for antinatal care Private for delivery?????

[Mrs Hendo]

Hi everyone,

Just hoping to pick your brains for advice. Now that medicare are changing it's safety net by removing obstetrics from jan 1, DH and I can't really afford to have my anti natal care by private OB. We have private health insurance and I really wanted to deliver at South Eastern Private Hosp, which we will have no out of pockets there (I work for my health insurance company so this is confirmed).

So what I was wondering if anyone else has had their maintenance of preg done by GP but then delivered privately. I know that I will need to ensure that OB that delivers baby will not charge a huge OOP and aneithasist but aside from this, we could save a couple thousand $$$ doing it this way...

what do you think?

[Muppity]

Maybe I am wrong but I thought that the medicare rebates for antinatal visits weren't really changing and that the major change was the planning and management fee (effectively birth fee) which is the big one that you pay the Obs to deliver the baby (which I am guessing that you will have to pay or they won't be there)

Also, I am not sure that you will find an Ob that will deliver your baby privately without having the full antenatel care - or at least several visits. It has effects on their insurance - if you are private they have to cover themselves - if you are public the hospital covers them.

My Obs told me the other day that he has a no gaps policy at the hospital unless I haven't completed paying the management fee in which case there will be out of pocket expenses for the delivery as well (which pretty much equal the management fee).

Also, Obs don't control what anaests charge - they send the bills seperately.

So, I suppose what I am trying to say is that I really don't think that you will save much money at all by trying to avoid the antenatal visits. But maybe call a few that deliver where you want and ask them the question.

[HollyC]

I'm not sure about the medicare safety net stuff, but maybe I need to look into it.

It might be worth talking to an OB. I know my big bill from the OB is the management fee as Muppity said. But...... private health insurance usually covers the costs of doctors while you are a patient in hospital (doesn't it?). So I think my OB also collects payment from my health insurance for the birth itself in addition to the management fee.

Maybe an OB would be willing to just be there for the birth or have just a few appointments, but mostly gp care? I'm not sure they would go for it, but it could be worth asking. If the safety net change is going to have such an impact maybe OBs will need to change the way they do things.

Hmmmm, I don't think I have actually been helpful!

[melbel]

I am not sure that you will find an OB that will let you do public ante natal but private delivery...good luck with that!
Most obs you have to book in as soon as you are pregnant to make sure they will be available on your due date and I cannot imagine they would agree to deliver you if they have not treated you during the pregnancy...you would also have the problem if you had public ante natal care that you would have records all over the place and hospitals aren't that great at communicating with each other.
As for the safety net question..it applies to all obstetric and IVF related item no.s. Each item number now has a cap above which they will not pay inluding ante natal visits, scans, the whole nine yards..the MBS website has a full listing of item numbers, benefits and caps.