Ultrasound costs etc!!

[*Elle*]

I am due to have my morphology ultrasound in a couple of weeks but wanted to find out from others how much this scan has costed, I am especially interested in people from Adelaide area.

I am a private patient so I know as a private patient I have to pay for things, but I really dont understand why, I know its my choice to go private and I totally get that and own my decission but why does it cost private patients so much money to have scans etc done?? ( sorry a little vent there LOL )

my morph scan is going to cost me $220 and I only get back about $60 or so!!

also at what week did you get yours done, I cant remember exactly but when I had my daughter I went for the scan @ around 19 weeks and was made to come back a week or so latter as it was to early for a good scan etc, I am going to ring my OB to double check when its best to have it done but thought i would see what others have done also.

TIA

[nic]

With DD who is now 10, I was a public patient, went private u/s, and it cost me a little under $200 back then! With DS, a new place had opened up, I was going private, and they just bulk billed and I even had a couple of 3d pics taken.

The place I went to with DD, wouldn't let me have my u/s with DS until i was, somewhere between 20-21 weeks. I couldn't go any earlier or any later, which made it hard since i had to travel 75 klms to get there in the first place. Their arguement was my dates could be wrong..even when i said IVF, my dates could still be out a couple of weeks. So we drove 200 klms, to someone else, who didn't mind my 'dates' being anywhere between 19-21 weeks if i could get there.

Maybe ring the place you are having your scan done and ask them if they have any specific dates that you 'have'to have your u/s?

[Talia*L]

Well I guess they can charge what they want unfortunately - you don't need to have scans, they are really an option, particularly if you have no reason to suspect problems. So I suppose they see it as an 'optional extra'.

Also - the reason they do scans at that 20-ish week time, is so that you have the option to terminate before the 24 week cutoff. If you wouldn't consider a termination at this point, it is generally better to wait a few more weeks, at least, if you really want to have a scan. I hear of so many people having to go back again, after inconclusive 18 - 20 week scans!

[prama]

elle I'm having mine on the 1st of april and it's abt 220 from that the lady said. yes, and im private too. this will be at 19weeks gestation

[~Phoenix~]

Hi Elle

Where are you having it done? I'm going private too and I had mine at the Ultrasound for Women on Anzac Highway at 19+4 and think it was about $220-235. I had a followup one two weeks ago due to my placenta position & that one was $235 but that's it for me now hopefully.

Have you registered for Medicare Safety Net, not sure how the new system works from 1st Jan but my out of pockets costs added up to me getting a better rebate on my 20 week Ob fees I had to pay once I went past the threshold.

[Mrs Jak]

I know!!

I went public with my first and never had to pay a cent for anything. My last pregnancy we were private and this one too.

I even have to pay for blood tests because the Ob sends me to one that doesn't bulk bill. Not only do we pay for everything and now get less back from medicare, we also still pay the monthly fee to the healthcare fund to be private.

Sorry for the rant!

I'm pretty sure I pay at least $200 and previously have gone at 19 weeks and have been advised to go at 19 weeks again.

On a similar topic... I found out the other day that the medicare refund for the big fee (management fee) we pay the Ob at around 20 weeks has now been capped by medicare so we can only get around $400 back, even if we are over the safety net....

[Talia*L]

I'm pretty sure I pay at least $200 and previously have gone at 19 weeks and have been advised to go at 19 weeks again.

Why have you been advised to go again at 19 weeks? Unless there is a pressing medical need, why not go when you want to? Hold off til 24 weeks or even later if you want - they can do all the same checks, only they will be even more accurate!

[feeb]

Talia*L the scan is done between 18 and 20 weeks to determine if any abnormalities, during this time period people can choose to terminate if any problems found.

Often after 1 scan they want another done by someone more specialised or even and amnio and this can all take time, so leaving a scan later does not give you this time.

I went private and paid for scans but got a % back from medicare, all bloods were bulk billed. Did have to pay for bloods part of screening test as that is tested in a diff lab.

[Talia*L]

Talia*L the scan is done between 18 and 20 weeks to determine if any abnormalities, during this time period people can choose to terminate if any problems found.

Often after 1 scan they want another done by someone more specialised or even and amnio and this can all take time, so leaving a scan later does not give you this time.
.

Yes I'm aware of that - I mentioned it above. I just know from speaking to lots of women that many would not terminate at this point (not asking anyone to say whethether they would or wouldn't, such a personal decision!) - but my point is, if someone would go ahead with the pregnancy anyway, there is not much point in scanning so early, particularly when sometimes it requires an additional scan as the early one was not clear enough or advanced enough.

[~clover~]

Ah, where I live they aren't generous enough to bulk bill public patients, so we are expected to also pay full price & thats about what it is.
I was lucky & only paid the gap for my dating scan, which was $50, but my friend has just had the morphology scan done & paid about $80 gap. Thats for public & only coz we are on Medicare & health care cards, other wise price would've been $160 & about $220.

[~Phoenix~]

I've been lucky all my blood tests, and I've had a heap, have all been bulk billed. Have had to pay gaps on ultrasounds and coz of early bleeding have had to have a couple of them.

My Ob had an intial consulation fee of $147 which I got about $60 back for and the rest of appointments are bulk billed, except for her 20 week fee which was $1800 and I got just over $1100 back.

Did a double check with my private health insurer and had some bonus system on my hospital excess and as I haven't made a claim won't have to pay any when I go in.

So all in all my private Ob experience hasn't been so bad BUT I do have a couple of gripes lol the hospital I'm going to I have to supply my own nappies for length of stay, they only give you SIX to get through first day!! And they have limited clothing available so I have to supply that too - not that I mind so much on that but hey figured with what you get charged/pay for private health there would be some perks.

[~clover~]

Pheonix - I had my girls at a hospital here & they provided cloth, which I used, but I had DS elsewhere & also had to provide my own nappies. They let me have the first one

[~Phoenix~]

We haven't even been given the cloth option, which I'll be using at home.

It's some new policy that came in last year.....but only one nappy , I won't whinge about getting 6

[*Elle*]

Thankyou all for your replies,

I was told by a friend that it was possible to have your scans through public but go private with OB etc, but after a chat with my OB's office I found that this isnt so, well not in SA anyway, or with my OB. I spoke to the radiology place and they have been so nice, so helpfull and will be billing me with a 30 day account, so I wont have to come up with the whole amount in one hit, so I am happy with that, I still dont understand why it costs so much but I guess at the end of the day thats the choice we make *shrugs*

Pheonix, the hospital I am going to supply you with one small packet of huggies new born, I think they do have the option of cloth if you want it too, was very happy with them last time I was there.

all in all I have to pay $1200 to my OB between 25 and 30 weeks, plus its $70 per visit and extra for any scans he preforms in his rooms, so its really not to bad when you add it all up and then take away what you get back from medicare, I am also lucky that when I took out my health insurance I was offerd a no excess hospital cover and I took it, so the hospital trip will not cost me a cent so when you look at it that way for my situation, its really quite good!!

again thankyou for your replies you have all been really helpfull.

xx