Public Vs Private

[nelly]

I agree with Mel - at the end of the day it is where you will receive the best level of care. If I still lived in my old suburb, and didn't have my medical history, I would have gone public bcos there is a brand new hospital with a fabo midwifery unit. However we have moved and bcos of my history we chose to stick with our OB and go private, plus our last experience private was amazing.

One of my dearest friends is having her third child in February, and after 2 private hospital uncomplicated births she has decided to go public with her third.... Is all what you feel most comfortable with.

[Serenitylee]

Hi

I haven't taken the time to look through all the posts sorry but i did read something about people with private health cover who go to the public hospitals get to have their own room. I am genuinally interested in this as i am going to be going to the public hospital for birth and i have health cover but just wanted to save the hospital bills i would get for going to a private so am interested if i would be able to do this as well in the public hospital? have my own room and everything?

[Arimeh]

Can someone clear something up for me? I keep reading about people saying they want to avoid the cost of the hospital - doesn't your private health cover cover the expense of the hospital?

Cos I didn't pay anything for my hospital stay - my health cover paid for it.

I'm confused?

[Serenitylee]

I think it depends on what sort of Private Health Cover you have? I know with ours we have a big excess that we have to pay for Hospital fees and that sort of thing so i wanted to save the money so i can spend it on necessaties for the baby.

[Arimeh]

Ahhh ok fair enough We have just normal hospital cover - think my excess is $200? Not sure.

[Snacks]

I think the cost people refer to is the cost of an OB - you have to have OB care in a private hospital and generally your PHI doesn't cover all the OB fees.

[nelly]

we're same as you mel, biggest out of pocket when you go private is Ob fees and medicare rebate can vary on that too depending on your safety net. Hospital cost was a $250 excess and our in hospital bill was over $4K.

[kitten76]

Its public for me. I just love my local hospital midwives. They are big believers in natural is best but give you other options without prejudice. Plus most of the ladies in my local area use the antenatal classes they run so it gives me a chance to connect with mums in my area.

But like Arimeh said its hospital vs hospital and sadly some just arent up to scratch. Just do some research and see which hospitals offers the best ante natal and after birth care for you.

[childondaway]

Hi All,

I am going to a public hospital as a private patient so not sure if I get my own room or not, although im not particulary fussed over something like that I actually would prefere to share in some aspects as i would be nice to meet some new ppl who are experiencing the same types of thing you are.
Someone mentioned previously you cant breastfeed in a public hospital, I don't think that is correct, m best friend had her child in the same hospital In am going too and she just closed the curtain as she was in a shared room, she did not have to go to another room to bf.

[Pandora]

childondaway I think this is the post you were referring to:

....
Private hospital gets a single room with your own bathroom - Public hospital have to share PLUS you are not allowed to BF in that room - you have to walk down to a public sitting room and do it there.

I think that attitidue to b/f is specific to that particular hospital, its certainly not policy across the public system in general, and in fact I have never heard of it before.
If you call the hospital(s) you are interested in they will be able to tell you what their policy is.

[Arimeh]

Someone mentioned previously you cant breastfeed in a public hospital, I don't think that is correct, m best friend had her child in the same hospital In am going too and she just closed the curtain as she was in a shared room, she did not have to go to another room to bf.

I'm guessing you were referring to my post - where I was specifically talking about a public hospital near me. I was making the comparison between the private and public hospitals - NEAR ME - not making generalisations of all public hospitals.

[childondaway]

All Good, sorry Arimeh, I misinterpreted your post, I didn't realie you were referring to hospitals in your area specifically.

Sorry my mistake - I read it wrong!

xoox

[penguin]

Hi

I haven't taken the time to look through all the posts sorry but i did read something about people with private health cover who go to the public hospitals get to have their own room. I am genuinally interested in this as i am going to be going to the public hospital for birth and i have health cover but just wanted to save the hospital bills i would get for going to a private so am interested if i would be able to do this as well in the public hospital? have my own room and everything?

The most common misconception that I have seen in Intermediate patients (private patient in a public hospital) is the assumption that because they are a private patient, they automatically get a private room. This assuption is wrong. Being an Intermediate does not entitile you you to a single room. In the public system, the allocation of single rooms is based on availability and clinical need, rather than one's private health insurance status. I have seen this misperception result in cranky patients and their families time and time again.

You can always ask for a single room. I would. A single room may be far, far preferable to a shared room, simply so you and your bub can get some untinterupted (as unterupted as it gets with a newborn) rest. But, if you are in a public hopital, please undertsand that you may not get a single room. This goes for maternity units and acute wards.

[Serenitylee]

I certianly never assumed that just because you have health insurance you would be given a single room to yourself. I thought that IF you asked for your own room and just mentioned you have health insurance to pay for that room then you would be able to have your own room if available. I know this is what i would like but if i get a shared room i will not mind.

Cheers

[childondaway]

I agree with SerenityLee, although a private room would be nice, if it isn't available i'm not going to be upset , as I mentioned before I would be more than happy to share and make a few new friends!!

[Snacks]

There are some public hospitals now that have all private rooms. In Sydney there are a number of hospitals being refurbished and most of the rooms are private.
Don't know what your local hospital is like, but you may be pleasantly surprised... It's good not to have that expectation though, so you are happy with whatever eventuality faces you
I know the hospital I'm going to has many of both, but it is a major teaching hospital, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up, LOL!

[Maybebabie]

I think public vs private is really about each hospital. We have on of each in our city and they actually share facilities for some things. But our public hospital does not have private rooms as far as I am aware, def not in maternity ward. You share the bathroom with 3 other people, and the rooms have no doors only curtains so it's really noisy. While the care for birth is good, I have experienced 5hour waits when i had an appt! in three days i spent over 11 hours in the maternity waiting room when i had appointment times. You see a different doc every visit and the lack of understanding i experienced for a loss preg was incrediable. Partners are subject to visiting times etc.

In the private hosp which yes the ob fees made up the majority of the expense, you may have to share a room but usually breifly. I got a private room with a double bed which meant my partner could stay with us, he wasn't subject to visiting hours. My room had a door so it was a lot quiter. So I bascially look at the cost of going that way like the cost of staying at a hotel for a week.

Yes the birthing care is probaly the same, you'll get good and bad at both places but the post birth comfort which is important to me is completely different. I did consider public this time as if all went well i wouldn't expect to stay that long but after a premmie baby experince I realised you can spend a lot on time there and the money is sometimes worth it.

[~Hestia~]

I always thought I would go private when/if I fell pregnant & have insurance. Now that I am expecting my first baby, I would rather be in a public hospital. Yes it would be nice to be in the family rooms at my local private so my DH can stay over. But it's more important for me to feel comfortable knowing that my chosen public hospital is prepared for any problem/emergency that may arise. The public hospital I'm attending has a midwife program where I see the same midwife for all antenatal appointments, this midwife is on call for my labour & birth, & she is the one who also attends my home visits. I know not all public hospitals have the same continuity which is a shame. I have also recently discovered that this hosptal actually has a couple of family rooms, fingers crossed I get to use one!!