Private health insurance for pregnancy
The table below shows family hospital & extras health insurance policies, on Canstar’s database, that offer pregnancy and birth cover.
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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Monthly premium (approx) (Low-High) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, see top of table for details.
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About health insurance for pregnancy
Planning for a baby can be one the most exciting stages of our lives. It can also be a time that calls for important decisions around whether to take out pregnancy health insurance. Your choice can shape your prenatal care, where you have your baby, and some of the costs associated with having a newborn. Here are factors you may like to consider if you are weighing up the health care options for your pregnancy.
Do I need health insurance for pregnancy?
Whether or not you decide to take on health insurance for pregnancy will depend on your personal circumstances and whether or not you’d like to be able to choose your healthcare providers and hospital or birth centre.
If you’re planning a family, it’s not essential to have private health cover in Australia. If you’re happy to have your baby as a public patient in a public hospital, a birth centre (usually attached to a public hospital) or even at home, the public health system provides pregnancy services, often at little or no cost to you, through Medicare.
Prenatal (before birth) care, which can include visits to your doctor or midwife, various pathology tests and diagnostic imaging may also be funded, or partly funded, by Medicare.
If you prefer to have private pregnancy care services (also called obstetrics), and/or you’d like to deliver your baby in a private hospital or as a private patient in a public hospital, you will need to take out health insurance for pregnancy.
Explore: How to choose health insurance
The best time to take out health insurance for pregnancy
If you are considering taking on private health care for your pregnancy and the delivery of your baby, some forward planning may be essential. There are valid reasons to purchase a private health insurance policy that includes hospital pregnancy cover well ahead of time – even before you become pregnant.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman says all health funds apply a 12-month waiting period for pregnancy services, and that in most cases this rule is strictly applied. So it may be advisable to have appropriate cover in place for at least a year before your baby is due, possibly longer as babies can come early.
You may need to check with your insurer to see if your newborn baby is also covered by your policy. You may need to upgrade to a ‘family’ policy to ensure that your baby is covered if it requires any treatment, such as needing specialist health care while in hospital. There could also be waiting periods applied to this type of cover. You can use the table at the top of this page to compare private health policies with hospital-only cover for families. Change the filters to suit your requirements.
Explore: Pros and cons of private health insurance
Which are the best funds for pregnancy health insurance?
For families facing the cost of a newborn, it can be tempting to select the cheapest health cover available. Bear in mind though, not all policies will cover obstetrics.
According to privatehealth.gov.au, a Gold tier hospital policy is the only tier that covers for pregnancy and birth as a minimum requirement. That said, some insurers may offer Plus policies on other hospital tiers, such as Silver Plus, with these services included.
Once you are aware of the level of cover you need, it may be a good idea to compare family or singles health insurance policies that include pregnancy services to find a policy that best suits your needs at a competitive price. Also, consider what kind of excess you can afford to pay; for instance, choosing a higher excess will typically give you a cheaper premium, but it will mean you have to pay more when claiming on your policy.
Overall, it’s important to make sure the health cover you choose suits your needs and your budget during pregnancy, the delivery and post-delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions about health insurance for pregnancy and birth
While private health insurance can be an additional cost for expecting parents to wear, private health cover may offer potential benefits from early pregnancy through to the birth of your baby and beyond. Here are some of the factors to weigh up.
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This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.