Hospitals

Along with engaging an obstetrician, the other big consideration is where you’ll have your baby. And that’s likely to depend on two things:

1. Where your obstetrician has admitting rights – usually listed on obstetricians' websites, but if in doubt ask.
2. Your level of Hospital cover – i.e. whether Pregnancy and birth is 'covered' or 'restricted' on your cover.
   
   

If it's covered

If you’re on Top Hospital (Gold), the best way to keep your costs down is to have your baby at an agreement private hospital. Because your insurance should cover most of your costs.

Be sure to ask the hospital about any additional expenses you may have though. They could be related to your care, like high-cost or take-home medicines. Or non-medical stuff like TV, parking, internet or phone use.

Here are some other considerations:

Premmie babies

If your baby comes early and you’re taken to a public hospital (not the private one you’re booked into) you can still opt to be treated as a private patient.

You’re not guaranteed to get a private room, but if there isn’t one available when you’re admitted you could be moved to one later. Please note that room allocation is down to the hospital (i.e. we can’t influence their decisions).

Prenatal classes

It’s worth checking whether your private hospital includes the cost of antenatal classes in their accommodation fee. Some do; others charge separately.

If it’s the latter, you can look into claiming for face-to-face classes via Top Extras, or accessing our online New Families Program through your Hospital cover.

Partners staying with you

If you have a partner, you may also want to ask the hospital whether they’ll be able to stay with you during your hospital admission (depending on room availability).

Action items

☐ Ask your obstetrician if they can treat you at an agreement hospital

☐ If they can, and will, ask the hospital what additional costs you may have

☐ Check your cover to see if you’ll pay an excess when you’re admitted (see below)

☐ Ask the hospital if antenatal classes are included in their fees

☐ Ask if partners can stay with new mums during their hospital admission

☐ Understand (and be okay with) the hospital’s cost estimate before giving Informed Financial Consent

If it's restricted

If you’re on Mid Hospital (Basic Plus) or Basic Hospital (Basic Plus), you have restricted cover for Pregnancy and birth.

That means the maximum we pay towards your hospital bill is the current government fee for a shared room:

• Public hospital – a public hospital is way more likely to charge the government fee for a shared room. But you still need to ask if your chosen hospital charges private patients more than that, because you’ll pay the difference.

• Private hospital – a private hospital could charge a lot more than the government fee for a shared room. Plus, you won’t be covered for any operating theatre, intensive care or neonatal intensive care costs, because (unlike public hospitals) they’re not included in the accommodation fee.
  
  

Action items

☐ Ask your chosen hospital how much they charge private patients

☐ Check your cover to see if you’ll pay an excess when you’re admitted to hospital (see below)

☐ Understand (and be okay with) the cost estimate before giving Informed Financial Consent

Excess payments

Before we move on, ensure you’re clear on your excess payment situation. An excess is an agreed amount you pay directly to the hospital when you’re admitted (if you have an excess on your cover*).

Here are the excess options on the relevant levels of UniHealth Hospital cover:

If you’re already on your chosen level of cover, you can check your excess via our app or Online Member Services.

*Capped at one excess payment, per person, per calendar year.