To kind of take this thread back to Kelly's original moan...

I agree that women should have access to OBs caesar rates, but knowing that Australia has a national caesar rate of around 30% doesn't seem to deter women from choosing obstetric care over midwifery care during pregnancy. It makes more sense to me to educate women about midwifery care. Most women do not require an obstetrician to monitor their pregnancy and birth, yet many Australian women choose a private OB and cost the commonwealth purse thousands of dollars (in the form of PHI rebates and Medicare Safety Net) for what is, IMHO, better managed by midwives. Obstetricians have put the fear of god into society surrounding birth, when the reality is that for 95% of women it is a normal and safe natural process that is best left uninterrupted.

Midwives are unsupported by this government in its refusal to subsidise insurance and provide Medicare provider status - effectively meaning that anyone who wishes to choose their own midwife must foot the entire bill themselves. Very few PHI reimburse midwifery fees and Medicare does not at all. So when an obstetrician charges a massive 'pregnancy management fee', knowing that the Medicare Safety net will fund most of it and a woman who chooses her own midwife must foot the whole bill (anywhere up to $4000) - it is easy to see why obs get the nod from women, despite those soaring caesarean rates.

The Maternity Coalition actively lobbies for one-to-one midwifery care to be available to all Australian women, not just those who can afford to pay. That's what I would be sticking my weight behind.

Just my thoughts,
C