Public vs. Private hospital

Hi there again ladies!

I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on this for me. I am currently covered (and have been for years) by top level private health insurance. I went to the gynie who gave me her fees for a lap and whoa!
OK for a diagnostic lap $1400 + assistant $400
operative lap $1900 + assistant $600
plus then the aneasthatist, any extra surgeons needed, hospital etc.
I got quotes from the health fund on what they will give back only 20% of that.
I have since asked to be put on the public waiting list... apparently 4 months but completely free.
Has anyone had experience like this? how does the public waiting list work?
Thanks again :D

Hi there, unfortunately those $$ figures sound about the same as mine for when I had a lap. I went private as the waiting list for public can be a year or longer (if it is elective and non-urgent) and you can keep getting your surgery bumped backward by more urgent patients.

If you are TTC and don't want to wait around, you may have to bite the bullet and pay up.

I often wonder why I bother paying for top private cover!!

I wonder why too what a joke! unfortunately i cannot afford those fees, it would take me the 4-6 months waiting list to get the money together! I also have a moral objection to paying that much!!!! I am not TTC yet, but have spoken to hubby and if it comes back positive then that tune could change and we would start TTC straight away.

p.s. the tune of the gynie changed so so so much when i said i would have to go on the public list as the health fund gave only 20% of her fee back.
When i left she said to come back and see her. Now I am on the public waiting list she says i dont need to come back!!!!

Yes, I agree with your moral objection to it. If you aren't TTC nor are suffering in any way, then waiting for public sounds like a good option. Funny how doctors get precious when patients decide to do something their own way...you'd think they'd be professional and realise that not everyone has the money to cough up for stuff like that.

It's funny, I joined private health cover because I was about to start TTC. I eventually had a lap as well as IVF procedures (2 of them) and if I'd not paid for private cover even after paying for all the procedures etc I'd still have been MUCH better off...I got back so little for the lap and the IVF that it was a joke.

I am luckily enough pregnant now, and I am adamant that I want to be a public patient when delivering the baby...but my GP has referred me to a private OBS. Grrrr I even told him I wanted to go public and have a midwife.

I think public is the way to go def. WHy pay out exhorbitant amounts for private when it doesn't cost anything to go public? and it's all the same in the end really.

So silly.

Hi Bmuseful,
I was going public for a diagnostic lap and didn't want to wait so went private as I was 42. I only had the most basic hospital cover so was expecting to pay heaps but I didn't reallyask what his fees were.
I was pleasantly surprised as I had to pay $685 up front at the hospital, which was not claimable and got a bill from the anaesthetist which I took to medicare and got half back and also claimed back half of the pathology fees. I did not even see a bill from the gynae and the receptionist told me it was all covered. So I thought getting out of it for less than $1000 was reasonable.
If you want his name or the hospital name let me know.

Hi Sal,
a big congrats on your pregnancy and definitely! private health insurance as it is is a joke!

Well I called this morning and made sure that they had put me on the public waiting list and she said yes and I am looking some time in September, so not too bad a wait I think? 4 months?

I will go public for the diagnostic, and I think if some bad news comes back and i need to go in for an operative lap to get the TTC ball rolling look to private and forking out the $$$.

Anney!
That is excellent, I am glad that your gynie didn't try and rip you off! if you wouldn't mind that would be great!

Well after my lap last week I am yet to receive any bills but know that they're on the way.......
I have 2nd tier private health insurance and the costs estimated from my lap are as follows:

Gyno: $1500.00 for Procedure of which Medicare and Medibank will cover $650.00 leaving gap of $750.00....Gap Cover then kicks in taking balance to $480.00 for gyno which I will have to fork out

Aneathetist: $700.00 Rebate will be approx $650.00 leaving me pbly $50.00 there

Assistant Fees: Expected to be around $50.00 out of pocket

Hospital: Fully covered....luckily i am classed as adult dependent on Health Cover so no $200.00 excess

All up turned out to be expensive exercise and of course on top of that you have to add inital consultation fees plus follow up appt fees. But then I have to take into account I saw gyno first time on 23/05/05 and was in for lap 09/06/05 which to me was fantastic because I have not been well for two years and finally I have a diagnosis.

I guess its a matter of personal choice and the urgency with which you want to be seen.

Good luck either way!!
Jess

WOW thanks so much for the info! I will be sure to look over it and check... what discrepancies there are out there... we are becoming like America where you have to "shop" for a doctor!

Hubby and I are cancelling our private cover. We are going to go get new glasses and to the dentist first then cancel it. We need to save that $$$ every month.

Hi Bmuseful,
I hadn't realised their fees could vary so much until now. I will be aware more next time and ask first. His name is Prof. Tony Krins and the hospital was Mitcham private. He has rooms in Box Hill and consults at Mitcham Private on a Wednesday arvo. should have said my lap was just to exclude any problems - there was no likelihood I had endo or anything. Maybe if you are going to an endo specialist, she may charge more. He is an obstetrician and gynaecologist and specialises in fertilty issues.
The other thing I found good about the private hospital was they told me what time to be there and stuck to it, whereas with a public hospt you could be waiting all day.

thanks anney O:)

Wow, my gyno didn't tell me his fees as when he sent me for my lap we didn't have PHI. I ended up waiting 4 months and went to Monash Moorabbin and it was fantastic.

My Gyno/OB also does public work but his waiting list was longer than 12 months. We have had insurance since October and I will be seeing him as my OB as of next week. We will be going private simply because I prefer the private hospital. I would have had the same Dr either way and he would cost the same too!

Sounds crazy but I want it to come around now, after all this time putting it off so long... is that crazy?

Well - I have tried both avenues - I have private cover, but cant find anyone who is willing to do what I need/want, because I need a 'permanant' proceedure done. I basically have AF come to visit perm! I dont have PCOS - or so they say. I have erratic cycles that are 'normal', and nothing else seems to fix it (as in drugs) I have been using Azol - which is working really well - but can only be used as a short term relief. Rather frustrating.
I have seen 2 of Adelaides leading Gynies - who both basically refused. So now I have gone public and I am having it done tomorrow. I cant remember the name of the Gynie - I have dealt with a registrar most of the visits - but thats fine. I am having the endometrial ablation and tube tied at the same time.

The thing is - if you arent fussed by waiting - (I got bumped up the list as I got classified as semi urgent) the by all means - go and do it. But dont expect choices of anything......

Good Luck!

edited