Expect to be expecting
Private vs public for pregnancy – the big questions answered
Planning a baby and thinking about private health insurance? We’re here to explain your options - going private, public or a mix of both. Find out the main benefits of pregnancy cover and see what you can expect from bump to birth and beyond for each option - where you’ll have the baby, who’ll look after you and more.
Keep in mind if you want private hospital cover for pregnancy, you’ll need to have taken cover out at least 12 months before you’re admitted to hospital.
Private
The private system offers more choices throughout the pregnancy and birth – you have a say in where you have the baby, who you will consult with and who’ll be at the birth. Private health insurance covers some of the costs, depending on your level of cover.
Read morePublic
Having a baby through the public health care system is free to anyone who has a Medicare card. The experience you have will depend on which hospital you go to, because the public system has number of different types of care available.
Read morePublic/Private
Some types of private health insurance let you ‘go private’ within the public system. This means you can have the birth in a public hospital, but choose your own obstetrician. Private health insurance may cover some of the costs.
Read moreThese products pay benefits towards pregnancy
boost flexi
- $800 to spend on included extras like dental, physio and natural therapies every year.
- $200 separate optical limit (100% back).
- Lots of hospital procedures and no excess for kids.
Extras
$800
yearly flexi limit$200
optical limit- Psychology
- Hypnotherapy
- Dental - Routine
- Dental - Complex
- Physiotherapy
- Chiropractic
- Osteopathy
- Optical
(100% back)# - Natural therapies
- Pharmacy
- Health improvement
- Diet & nutrition
- Speech therapy
- Pre & post natal services & birthing courses
Hospital
- No excess for kids
- Accident
- Ambulance
- Wisdom teeth
- Removal of tonsils & adenoids
- Removal of appendix
- Joint investigations & reconstructions
- Gynaecological procedures
- Grommets in ears
- Rehabilitation
(partial cover) - Palliative care
(partial cover) - Psychiatric services
(partial cover) - Brain surgery
- Colonoscopies
- Bowel surgery
- Cancer therapies
- Obstetrics
(partial cover) - TENS machine hire/purchase
- All services covered by Medicare
boost
Plenty of hospital procedures with some excluded services to keep the costs of your cover down.
- No excess for kids
- Accident
- Ambulance
- Wisdom teeth
- Removal of tonsils & adenoids
- Removal of appendix
- Joint investigations & reconstructions
- Gynaecological procedures
- Grommets in ears
- Rehabilitation
(partial cover) - Palliative care
(partial cover) - Psychiatric services
(partial cover) - Brain surgery
- Colonoscopies
- Bowel surgery
- Cancer therapies
- Obstetrics
(partial cover) - TENS machine hire/purchase
- All services covered by Medicare
top
Want a comprehensive level of cover or looking to start a family? Then our top cover could be for you.
- No excess for kids
- Accident
- Ambulance
- Wisdom teeth
- Removal of tonsils & adenoids
- Removal of appendix
- Joint investigations & reconstructions
- Gynaecological procedures
- Grommets in ears
- Rehabilitation
- Palliative care
- Psychiatric services
- Brain surgery
- Colonoscopies
- Bowel surgery
- Cancer treatment
- Heart
- Dialysis
- Major eye surgery
- Spinal fusion
- All joint replacements
- Obstetrics
- Labour ward
- Midwife assisted home births
- Assisted reproductive services
- Weight loss surgery
- Contraceptive procedures & vasectomy
- Hysterectomy
- Sterility reversal
- TENS machine hire/purchase
- Nerve pain treatment
- Plastic & reconstructive surgery
- Vascular & varicose vein surgery
- All services covered by Medicare
*Price is for Single cover in NSW paying by direct debit and includes an Australian Government Rebate of 25.415% with a 0% Lifetime Health Cover loading. ^Tasmania and Queensland have State schemes that cover ambulance services for residents of those States. #100% back on optical up to annual limit.