Key points
- Giving birth in Australia without Medicare can cost between $10,000 and $18,000.
- The cooling off period for private health insurance to cover pregnancy is generally around 12 months.
- The pregnancy management process is different for international students or temporary visa holders.
Now working as a professional banking consultant, Ms Khan said it had been very difficult for them to pay all the medical bills – totaling around $18,000 – at that time.
Since I wasn’t covered by my insurance, I had to pay all my expenses out of pocket, which was a lot of money.
Sadia Khan
Even though visits to a GP were covered by her insurance, she had to pay the full costs incurred by her gynecologist, including his fees, all exams and other costs, she said.
What is the waiting period/cooling off period?
This regulation aims to ensure that individuals do not purchase health insurance only when they need pregnancy-related services, which could potentially lead to adverse selection and increased costs for insurers.
The reflection/waiting period for reimbursement of pregnancy costs is normally 12 months. Source: RF Moment / d3sign/Getty Images
As a solution, Melbourne-based GP Dr Afshan Mian suggested “shared care” for students or temporary visa holders who did not have private health insurance or were in a waiting/delay period. reflection.
Dr. Mian said most hospitals and even insurance agencies cooperate to provide patients with information about their medical costs, coverage and out-of-pocket expenses.
What is shared care?
After that, if there were no complications and patients opted for shared care, they only had to go to the hospital at 20 weeks, 32 weeks, 36 weeks and 38 weeks, she explained.
If you have no complications, you can see a GP under shared care for most of your antenatal services.
Dr Afshan Mian
The cost of prenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care can vary widely depending on several factors, including the level of insurance coverage, the specific health services received, and choices made by the patient.
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Image Source : www.sbs.com.au