Free health care my butt!

[~mamaspice~]

I've always had a gap to pay for scans. And sometimes a gap for bt's. After you pay your bt bill you should be able to take your receipt to Medicare and get some back. Like someone else mentioned you could ask to be refered to facilities that bulk bill if they have any in your area. I agree that Australia doesn't have free healthcare. It's heavily subsidized by the medicare pool though, well essentially by those of us who pay a Medicare levy or surcharge. It ensures that all of us have affordable access to vital medical care, so its pretty good really. So yeah, i guess try to look at it that way. I am concerned that your health care providers are not on the ball with your anti D injections though.


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[Kirley64]

I'm so sorry that you are having a rough time.

i've never been under the impression that the NT scan is free. Perhaps the place you went to privately did happen to bulk bill the whole thing somehow? But i'm pretty sure even the place I go to that fully bulk bills dating scans and every other scan possible charges for the NT scan.

I'm a little confused about why you have to see an ob every time you go to a public hospital though? Provided you are at a public hossy?? The visits should be free at the hospital and you just see midwives except for one visit where you meet the ob?

I can't help with the anti d injections - no experience there...but from what I seem to be reading from lots of places is that they can check bub's blood as soon as it's born and then give the correct injection if needed then? Maybe that's worth an enquiry?

Have you thought about getting a doula. I know it's more money...but they might be able to guide you along this journey and make it a little bit less emotional by offering lots of support?

[Netix]

I was not told the downs test was optional. I was just told to go and have it and given a referral to the pathology. The bill is for the test, not the apt with the ob (the bill came from vggs or something like that, related to the RCH).

With my first two pgs, I just went wherever the Dr/mws told me to go. All through a public hospital.

To see an ob here, you MUST go to one of several medical centres, the only one that has obs (and no bulk billing). They come into hospital to do their rounds of inpatients, but will not see anyone prenatal in hospital otherwise, and they do not do shared care. For ALL prenatal appointments, you MUST see the ob, the mws don't do anything. And yes, this is a public hospital.

[LuluHB]

I didn't pay for the down's testing with DDs 1 and 2 but got a bill for this one. The person I dealt with at the pathology clinic was an idiot so TBH when I got the invoice I thought she had just screwed up even more than I originally thought. But nope. They're now billable, with part only claimable from medicare.

Can't help with the negative blood type stuff.

As for the report your OB filled out, sounds like he was seriously not paying attention. Can you phone and explain you're not happy with the report's accurate and get it corrected?

[beansbeans!]

Im pretty sure that you pay for the downs test if you are not in the high risk cat. I didnt have the scan with DD1 but had it with DD2 and paid for it. I always have a gap at drs appt and scans. You shouldnt have to pay for the bloods or the anti d stuff tho, I never had to pay for those.

But not too sure about the rest of the stuff. I would be having a word to the ob about the lack of recording of info and how vague they are. Its their job to make sure you have a safe and stressless and healthy pregnancy, not stressing you out like this.

[Ahurani]

I've paid for the bloods both times too. And I've gone private and public. I think you get about 60$? Back from Medicare. I haven't heard of anyone not paying it

[Beatrix]

I have never paid a cent towards any of my 3 pregnancy's or births.

With my 1st I had about 6 scans as well due to small measures.

I did how ever have every scan done at the public hospital which has a imaging department that is also public.

I have also had alot of blood tests in my life and haven't got a bill for those either.


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[briggsy's girl]

There is a way the gp can request the combined screening test that it is bulk billed. But generally there is a gap. It is usually only deemed a necessary test if there is string family history of genetic anomalies that can be detected by that screening test. For me, with DD, it was bulk billed due to family history. I was advised by the gp that it was only being written up the way it was because of that history. Otherwise it would have cost about $100 even three years ago. I'm not sure why you wrent charged in the past.

Even though it is routinely actioned, the tests aren't a standard part of the governments recognised prenatal care structure so the charging stands.

[Mum2SweetCs]

Hmmm i also paid for my NT scans around 300 - 400. Now im wondering why there is such a large discrepancy between prices!

[Netix]

I dont have a strong family history of anything, so cant understand why the tests were necessary in the first place.

I am going to see where the other hospitals and care are (far i know!), as im not very confident with any level of care here. And that has nothing to do with paying or not paying.

[RockingBaker]

Hope things get better Netix and you feel more confident in your care

[briggsy's girl]

They probably weren't but so many people ask for the 13 week sneak peak gp's are starting to assume everyone wants it and order it as routine. Much like early dating/viability scans. In a lot of cases there is no real reason (natural pg, no history of loss, regular af so edd easy to determibe - mum just wants to see baby) but gps will still refer if asked in a lot if cases.

[OceanPrincess]

Yep, I was shocked when the bill arrived the other day for it. Didn't get charged for it with DD. So overall, the scan cost $220 and the pathology bit just over $100. Frikken expensive scan! And that was on top of $220 for my inital ob appointment, with $90 per visit from now on.

It drives me mad that I'm private, have specified pregnancy as one of my "extras" and all that gets me is a bed in a private hospital. IMO, it should cover my appointments too, as it did when mum was having me (she tells me every time I have an appointment how in the old days pregnancy cover used to cover appointments and scans too).

So on top of the $160 per month we pay for our PHI, we're hit with these bills too, and we're supposed to be "better off" for having PHI? Bull ****.

I completely agree with this - I always thought I was doing the "right thing" by using the private system because we were financially able ITMS?

But then they screwed with the Medicare thresholds and stuff and all of a sudden we realised that there's a perfectly good public system right there.

But - each time (three) we have had to pay for the DS test. And yes, the bill comes from VGCS pathology. Or is it VCGS? Whatever.

And we paid for the scans - because we chose to go private for them. If we had the scans at the public hospital, I think it would have been free. Don't know about the test though.

[Early Kids]

I found that doing through the hospitals it was bulk billed but if I did Gp and a clinic u/s etc then it cost me. Living in the country I found that I had to go through a private clinic for some u/s because the local hospital wasn't equipped for the type of u/s I needed inc the downs u/s. It sucked but thats just how it was.


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[veus]

No VMR is bollocks. Just had a bub can guarantee u one of the biggest mat hospitals use them.

I had to pay for the down syndrome test too but I think I got some back from Medicare.

[Ahurani]

Vgcs is a not for profit organization isn't it? Netherless nothing is free anymore unfortunately. I'd just pay it, go to Medicare and move on.

[Gigi]

Netix, i hope you find an Obs, that you feel comfortable with and who is professional. You don't need the stress of worrying if they are decent Obst. or not.

i thought the 12 wk scan was standard for every pregnancy, first time i heard it was optional, was reading this thread. My Nuchal Scan numbers were so bad, i got ordered to have an emergency amniocentesis ASAP - by the public hospital.

i thought the Nuchal test was an early screening device, so that if anything was wrong with the baby, the medical people could get onto it in the early stages.

I've heard so many health professionals talk about the importance of prenatal care, i thought the 12 week scan was just part of "prenatal care". As in, women who DON"T have good prenatal care, have more problems with their pregnancy.

[Ambersky]

I pay $100 a time for my private Ob, but then get aPHI rebate on that, about half from memory of last time.

I remember the secretary saying "if Medicare wont rebate it, then send it t your PHI, you should get something back from one or the other".