Choosing a hospital far from home/Private Health Cover - pls help!
We are thinking of trying for our second baby next year and I was just wondering if anyone had chosen to birth at a hospital far from home? We live over 100kms from Melbourne, however I?m really interested in getting private health cover and possibly trying a birthing centre, or otherwise perhaps a private hospital.
I?m new to private health cover and find it really confusing. If anyone could offer any tips I?d be so grateful. Have been on iselect but still don?t completely understand everything. Is there always a 12 month wait period before we would be covered? Would I be guaranteed a private room? Would I be out of pocket anything besides the monthly fee?
Particularly interested to hear from anyone who has birthed far from home, did it work out okay, was it a stress getting to the hospital once in labour, was it annoying being far from family for visiting etc etc.
My last birth was quite the ordeal and ended in a c-section and many room swaps at the hospital including a shared room and I just don?t feel I could cope with something like that again.
It kind of depends on your reasons for going private, and the hospital you choose.
Private hospitals tend to have much higher c/s rates than public, so if thats one of the parts you want to avoid you will also need to research your OB really well.
You can still have room changes in private hospitals - my gf has changed rooms with her private hospital, in one case twice, in both pregnancies.
You should be guaranteed a private room though if you go private.
I cant help with the distance thing - how long was your labour with your first bub? If it was really short then Im not sure how far away I would travel.
Oh and for me, distance keepsing visitors away would be a bonus.
Ray ray - just a little note. Having private health in no way guarantees you a private room. All it allows you to do it choose your hospital and referring Ob.
Unfortunately a lot of peopl ego to private hospitals with the presumpsion that they ARE entittled a private room. From working in private hospitals over the past 5 years i have had to deal with a lot of upset and angry patients that has this assumation!
If a public patient was there first and had a higher need (difficult birth etc) then you may be stuck in a double or quad room. Unfortunately that is just the way it is.
As for choosing a hospital. I was 1300km and had to choose a hospital in brisbane. I have private health but choose the public system for both my children. We had to go to the nearest hospital to where we would be living so didnt have much of a choice (not that it mattered in the end as DS was born in our bedroom! lol)..
Hi Emma
I am due to have my baby in Jan 2009. We live in a small country town but have opted to go for a private hospital 2 1/2 hours away.I have been travelling to see my OB and don't really have an issue with that. Although you can do what is called 'shared care' with your OB and a local GP to cut down on travel.I usually have 14 hour labours so I am not concerned about having the baby by the side of the road. If my labour was quicker, there are plenty of smaller hospitals en route that we could stop at.
I spoke to a midwife at our local Hospital and she said if I went into labour I could call an ambulance and they would take me to the Private Hospital. This is probably because I have to have a ceasar for medical reasons. I don't know if they would do this if it was an ordinary delivery.
I really like to idea of being away from "friends" after the birth as I was very tired with my first two and just wanted to be left alone to sleep.Most hospitals will let your partner room in with you if you are concerned about travel. Don't know if this would apply to kids as well, you may have to check.
I had private rooms both times in our local public hospital as there weren't many people there at the time. If you are in a bigger public hospital that is very busy you can go in as a 'paying patient' if you have private cover. This does not mean that you have to pay for anything, just that they will get a rebate from your insurance company. Usually if you do this you will get prefference for any available private rooms.A friend of mine without insurance went in to a large public hospital; as a public patient and was put in a shared room with a creepy druggie type, so if you go public you may need to be prepared to share a room with someone undesirable.She said it was so awful that she went home the next day.You will get a private room in a private Hospital as long as one is available. In any case if you do have to share you are unlikely to get a creepy druggie type as they usually don't have private health insurance.(sorry I don't mean to sound horrible about this, but it's just the way it is.)
As for you health fund, it depends what level of cover you have. If you call them and explain the situation they will be able to tell you what out of pocket expenses you may incur.
Hope it goes well for you
Kind regards
Lisa B.
Thank you for your replies so far?. My main reason for wanting to go private is to try to get a private room, and I am hoping for nicer facilities and the option of a bath to labour in etc etc? I hope I don?t sound like a snob?
Here?s my predicament? the public hospital I birthed at last time which is half an hour away has private rooms for vag births, you actually give birth in the room that you stay in, the rooms are lovely and big, however if you have a Caesar, you stay in a different kind of room that is shared with another person? last time I had a very long labour and ended up in a shared room because I had a Caesar? I wasn?t coping well and kicked up a fuss and ended up getting one of the big lovely rooms to myself?
The overall feeling afterwards from myself and family was that the hospital was negligent in my care and the way things turned out, letting me labour for so long etc etc etc, but however I now feel that had I not been so scared, and had I been better prepared and not chosen an epidural, remained active etc etc, then things would have been different?
I?d be reasonably happy to go to the hospital again next time (although my family would be horrified as I nearly lodged a formal complaint) ? I do plan on doing hypnobirthing or calm birthing, and I feel like mentally I am so much better prepared already and better informed, and funnily enough less scared?
I suppose if my only reason for going private is to get my own room, and there is no guarantee of that, I guess its probably a waste of money as it might not end up the way I?m hoping?
Another hospital close by has a phenomenally low c-section rate, however I?m pretty sure I?d have to share a room? I?m just not up for that? I wish I could be more relaxed about it but I?m not. I haven?t actually viewed the maternity ward so maybe I?d better do that first before I rule it out.
Sorry its been such a long post. Is there anyone else out there who is hell bent on not sharing a room?
I think it depends on your hospital as to whether you get a private room or not. I'm booked into the private hospital in Berwick (I noticed you'e in Gippsland - Berwick might not be too far for you) and they ONLY have private rooms. So you are guaranteed a room on your own.
Half of the rooms have double beds, and hubbies can stay there if they want to for no extra cost (unless he wants meals provided). The other half are for caesar patients or used if the doubles are full, and only ahve single beds. But they are still private rooms.
The birthing suites have ensuites with smallish baths too, but they don't let you birth in the bath.
oh my god i didn't know there was a hospital at berwick?!!!! with only private rooms!!! this is really appealing to me, especially as it is a lovely distance, not too far from home, and just far enough for visitors not to be able to drop in non stop...
what is the name of it?
thank you thank you thank you
anyone know if there is always a 12 month wait for maternity with health cover?
Emma have you considered a homesbirth instead?
For the amount you would pay on a 12 month waiting period for PHI, then another 10 months for pregnancy, plus any oustanding costs (which I am unsure of, but I know each little thing (epidural, peth, c/sec) tends to cost more) - that medicare may cover part of but that still leaves you out of pocket.
I guess PHI is probably not as much as a homebirth, but for being in the comfort of your own home, guaranteed continutity of care etc...?
Might be worth considering.
Choosing a hospital far from home/Private Health Cover - pls help!
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks