costs

[maggie]

Hi, how much does everyone expect to be out of pocket to have their baby delivered in a private hospital. thanks

[Mother Goose]

Hi Maggie,

It really depends on whether or not you have health insurance. I am going private and I am paying nothing for the delivery of my baby or for my hospital stay (unless DH stays with me and then we pay $60 per night). My health insurance also pays for the birthing classes which are run through the hospital as well. I am paying some fees for my ob but fees depend on each ob. I pay $190 (approx) out of pocket for my first appt and then everything else is billed at the medicare rebate rate. I pay a fee for the birth plan which I think I worked out leaves me about $600 out of pocket. All up including all my ob fees and health insurance excess I will be out of pocket about $1100 plus any scans I have to have (which vary in costs and is dependent on what you doc wants).

I HTH.

MG

[Tobily]

I've been keeping a running tally and I'm about $1000 out of pocket so far - but $400 of that is the gap on my PMF not covered by Medicare. That also includes my 19 week scan. I have reached my medicare threshold now so my OB visits are now only costing me $11 (he charges $81 per visit) so the rate at which I'm racking up expenses has slowed down now somewhat.

My OB does not charge a gap for delivery so I only have to pay him for pregnancy visits.

There will probably be out of pocket fees for an anesthesist (IF I have an epi) and pediatrician while we are in hospital.

I'm expecting to be out of pocket around 2K all up by the time it's all said and done.
We have top hospital cover with HCF.

[Liz]

I haven't really sat down and added it up... we didnt' pay a thing for the hospital at all. Except for DH's meals. hehe. He figured it was easier to eat with me in the hospital than to find his own food at home. And they didn't charge us for him staying in my room that first night. I sent him home each night after that. No point in us both being zombies

OB fees - $35 per visit, and he charged his gap separately at $1700. We claimed on Medicare and got $1100 of that back, and a fair bit of the $35's were refunded too. It also depends where you're at with the medicare safety net. I've just ordered my yearly medicare statement so I can do my tax.. so that'll tell me how much I was out of pocket.. i'll let you know!

Scans - I think we were about $60 out of pocket on the 19w scan.

All up it wasn't too bad actually. It hurt parting with the money initially.. but we really did get quite a bit back from medicare.

btw... our HCF yearly statement arrived today, and my hospital visit cost about $4,500!!

[DGirl]

I figured that I would be about $3000 OOP if I had of gone private.