management fee/medicare safety net

[crumpet]

i spoke to my OB about this yesterday......
i will be 20 weeks on the 7th of jan.....

they said as long as im going in for a appt before the 1st of jan they can invoice me and i can pay before the 1st of jan.....
so im going in to see him for my 20 week appt at 19 weeks and then i can claim it....or so he tells me!!

if i cant claim it ill be out of pocket $3000 ish...

[Hollybolly]

Mrs Hendo - Thanks Its still sinking in, but it feels amazing! Have to keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not waking up from a dream anytime soon

Crumpet... ooh, thats interesting! My specialist said not to lose hope yet as they may change the way they itemise/ charge it to help with OOP costs.... I can't believe how close we all are!!!
They should have a period of time afterwards (but I guess whos to say what period of time - there'll always be someone who will ''just'' miss out I guess )

[~Phoenix~]

oh I won't complain about my Ob fees - were $125 first appointment, $1850 OOP at my 20 week appointment and rest of appointments are bulk billed I've got some kind of bonus system on my private health and as I haven't used hospital at all have no excess to pay when I go in.

I rang medicare yesterday to find out where I was with the safety net and I have only used about $400 so far, which leaves me about another $600 till I reach it (think it's $1100 as I don't have health care card). My 19 week scan will also go towards this before I make payment.

I asked her how it works if my OOP is $1850 and I reach threshold but of course she couldn't give me a straight answer except that she thinks I should get a slightly higher rebate guesss I have to wait and see.

[HollyC]

I think that private OBs are going to have to change the way they charge us to suit the new system.

I was trying to figure out the changes and reading the government health website. It said that OBs have been taking advantage of the safety net and they are trying to stop that. So basically, once we reach the safety net limit (and the management fee well and truly guarantees that) OBs are charging more because it doesn't come out of patients' pockets so we don't complain.

So I'm hoping that we don't all end up worse off in the future, but I suppose it will take some time for things to get sorted out. Not great for all the women who just miss out on claiming this year

[melbel]

It's funny how narrow minded the governments accounting system can be hey..... I personally don't think most obs are over charging..some are (some suoper exxy city obs are rorting and ruining it for eveyone else) but we forget the extra expenses that obs have abive and beyond normal medicos. for example for an OB to gain public liability insurance is in the vicinity of $90,000 a year and thats after the govt subsidy. Also the average one would be paying for reception staff in the vicinity of $100,000 a year all up when you account for super and workcare levies etc. Say one patient pays $5000 for her pregnancy, thats like 40 women a year they have to see for free before they start to even look at pulling a wage for themselves. Yes they are making money but I dont think they (or most of them anyways) are rorting anything like the govt is claiming.....JMHO....

[rufalina]

My fee is $4k, and of that there is a approx $1333 fee that is not claimable. So I know that bit upfront, and the rest is up to where I am with the safetynet... And TBH I agree with Mels points, and besides, I like my OB, and that money that I pay him is asking him to drop everything and be at my side when I need him.

I was in the same position as you all in my last pregnancy, and when I made my claim early in the year, it put my over the safety net, and that then made all my further medical expenses for the majority of the year rebateable at the 80%... So it worked out OK. And also, remember you can clam an additional tax rebate on medical expenses so you do get a bit more back at tax time...

[Hollybolly]

Mel - Completely agree with your whole post!

And TBH I agree with Mels points, and besides, I like my OB, and that money that I pay him is asking him to drop everything and be at my side when I need him.

Exactly how I feel, too Ruf

There's no way I would change as my OB is my FS as well... he got me here & so knows exactly what I need & how to go about it to get me the rest of the way!

He did say that they would wait for confirmation from the government towards the end of the year, but were looking at charging differently to make it better for patients etc - I think in terms of item numbers etc.

We have passed the safety net this year well & truly with 2 full stim cycles of IVF at a little over $6000 each time - but I'm so glad we got a pregnancy this year, so I'm happy enough that our cycle worked while we were still able to claim the IVF through the safety net! The OB fee would have been an extra bonus, but at this point, I'm so damn happy I have a positive result, I'm happy with anything now