On this page
- Pregnancy cover
- What is the best health insurance for pregnancy?
- Gold Hospital benefits
- Rolling Extras benefits
- What’s not covered
- What are outpatient pregnancy services?
In short |
Pregnancy cover
Private health insurance with pregnancy cover can assist with the costs of hospital care, your obstetrician's fees while admitted to hospital, and potentially other pregnancy-related services.
We’ve broken it down to focus on the benefits you enjoy from our Gold Hospital cover and Rolling Extras cover, while also highlighting what’s not covered.
Which pregnancy cover should you choose?
The best pregnancy cover depends on your situation and what you need. We recommend our Gold Combined cover, which includes both Gold Hospital and Extras.
Choosing our combined cover means you can claim benefits on both Hospital and Rolling Extras services you utilise throughout your journey.
At a minimum we recommend you take out Hospital cover if you’d like to have your baby in the private hospital system.
Cover for private hospital admission, in-hospital treatment, and more. Combined Gold Hospital cover and extra support for services that aren't usually covered by Medicare, like physio, remedial massage and more. Find the right cover for you
Gold Hospital benefits
There are several benefits to our Gold Hospital cover* that make it a good option for private health pregnancy cover. To help we’ve provided some extra details.
Midwifery, Labour Ward and Theatre Fees
We’re proud to cover 100% in a contracted hospital of these fees, which cover the cost of using the hospital's midwifery, labour and delivery suite. This includes:
- The physical room itself and all the specialised equipment within
- Nursing and midwifery staff dedicated to your care throughout labor and birth
- Medications or supplies needed for routine labor
Theatre fees cover the use of the surgical suite in the case of a planned or emergency caesarean section (C-section) birth. This includes:
- The operating theatre and its specialised surgical equipment
- Surgical staff assisting alongside the obstetrician – including nurses, and technicians
Accommodation fees
You’re also covered for 100% in a contracted hospital of the accommodation fees, for either private or shared room accommodation (subject to availability).
The availability of private rooms can vary depending on the hospital, demand at the time of your birth, and your chosen insurance plan. Some private hospitals may have specific policies regarding the minimum length of stay required for a private room.
Accommodation fees for your partner are also covered. Terms and conditions do apply, for more information please call us on 1800 603 603.
Fees for Obstetricians, Anaesthetists, Radiologists and Pathologists
At a minimum, we will cover the difference between the Medicare rebate and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Fee for inpatient services.
If your doctor chooses to use our Access Gap Cover and charge the schedule of fees of that scheme, we can cover up to 100% of the doctor’s agreed fee.
Before you select your obstetrician, you should ask for a breakdown of their costs so that you can provide informed financial consent.
It’s important to note that private hospital cover cannot be used for obstetric fees incurred as an out-patient, and out of pocket costs will apply, as these fall under Medicare not private health.
With Police Health there's no excess, no co-payment, no benefit limitation period and no exclusions. Choose your own doctor and hospital. We give you the freedom to choose, as long as they're recognised by us (out of pocket expenses at non-contracted private hospitals apply). Our Extras cover helps through prenatal and antenatal support services like physio and more. Get your own private room when you go to hospital (subject to availability).Why choose Police Health for pregnancy?*
Rolling Extras benefits
When you first think of pregnancy cover and maternity care, you think of being in a hospital. However, there are many services you can claim benefits for during your pregnancy under our Rolling Extras cover.
Plus, for the majority of services provided by recognised providers we pay up to a generous 80% of the cost, up to the service item limit.
Physiotherapy
Can address common pregnancy aches and pains in your back, pelvis, and legs, promoting better posture and movement throughout your trimester.
This could also lead to remedial massages that are targeted towards pregnancy related issues.
After birth, specialist Physiotherapists can also help with pelvic floor treatment and exercises, to aid in your recovery.
Dietary
Dietary consultations can guide you on healthy food choices for optimal nutrition for both you and your developing baby, potentially including prenatal supplements covered under our pharmaceutical benefit.
Through appointments with a Dietitian, they can cover what foods can help give you the important nutrients you need during pregnancy.
This can help you maintain the right levels of important nutrients like Folate, Iodine and Protein.
Consulting with a Dietitian may also be helpful if diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.
This effects approximately 1 in 10 pregnancies, and is usually managed through diet, exercise and sometimes medication to keep mother and baby healthy.
Podiatry
As the weight of the baby and uterus continues to grow exponentially until birth, aches and pains during pregnancy are likely to worsen.
Your podiatrist can help relieve your symptoms and help keep you comfortable throughout your pregnancy.
Podiatrists can give you a range of treatments including custom foot orthotics, footwear advice and foot bracing.
Optical
Being pregnant you expect to have morning sickness or lower back pain. But you might be surprised when your vision changes.
The hormonal and physical changes that come with pregnancy can also affect your eyesight. Most issues are usually minor and temporary.
Your sight should return to normal after your baby is born. But some problems linked to pregnancy may require medical attention. Whether you need new lenses or frames, you can use your Rolling Extras cover to cover some of the costs.
What's not covered?
- Any additional ‘management’ fees charged by your Obstetrician or Doctor that is not covered by Medicare or private health insurance
- Accommodation costs for ‘luxury’ suites
- The cost of Outpatient services
- Out of pocket accommodation and theatre fees for non-contracted hospitals
- Paediatrician fees where the baby has not been admitted to hospital
What are outpatient pregnancy services?
Outpatient pregnancy services are maternity-related health services that you receive when you're not admitted to hospital.
You usually receive these services in a clinic or hospital appointment and they usually involve tests or procedure and then you go home on the same day.
The most common outpatient pregnancy services are antenatal check ups, including;
- GP
- Obstetrician
- Midwife clinics
- Antenatal clinic
These usually cover blood pressure checks, weight monitoring, fundal height checks, foetal heartbeat monitoring and discussions about symptoms and birth planning.
Other services for checking maternal and baby health include;
- Ultrasounds
- Dating scans, 12-week nuchal translucency, 20 week morpholohy, growth scans
- Blood tests
- Glucose tolerance tests
- Foetal monitoring
- Genetic screening
Specialist consultations are still outpatient unless you're formally admitted, and the service is rendered whilst you are an inpatient ,these can include;
- Maternal-foetal medicine specialist visits
- EndocrinolgoitEndocrinologist
- Cardiologist
- Anaesthetist pre-admission consultations
It's important to remember that private hospitalealth insurance only applies starts paying for pregnancy cover when you're admitted as an inpatient.
If you have any questions, call us on 1800 603 603
Yes, and we recommend our Gold Combined heath insurance for pregnancy and birth cover, as well as throughout the early years of parenthood. Our combined cover includes Gold Hospital and Rolling Extras, but is a more cost-effective way to hold both types of cover. Choosing our Gold Combined cover means you have our best health insurance for pregnancy and birth, and beyond, because you can claim benefits for both Hospital and Extras services you use throughout your pregnancy and parenting journey. At a minimum we recommend you take out Gold Hospital cover. This type of private health insurance covers you if you’d like to have your baby in the private hospital system. Waiting periods, and other terms and conditions apply. For more information, please read our pregnancy guide. It can assist with the costs of private hospital care, your obstetrician's fees related to your admission in hospital, and potentially other pregnancy-related services. Our Gold Hospital cover includes It also includes the gap for medicare-eligible services for fees for Obstetricians, Anaesthetists, Radiologists, and Pathologists while you are an in-patient in hospital. At a minimum, we will cover the difference between the Medicare rebate and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Fee. If your doctor chooses to use our Access Gap Cover and charge the schedule of fees of that scheme, we can cover up to 100% of the doctor’s agreed fee . It’s important to note that private hospital insurance cannot be used to help cover Obstetrics fees during any out-patient appointments and out-of-pocket costs will apply, as these are covered by Medicare. If you take out our Gold Combined cover, the Extras component can help cover some of the cost of services you may turn to help you feel more comfortable throughout your pregnancy, including; There are many benefits to private health pregnancy cover, including being able to choose; To see more benefits, read our pregnancy guide and see how it can help you. No, we give you the freedom to choose. One of the many benefits of private health insurance is having the option to choose who treats you and where. With Police Health, you can choose; You can choose these as long as the provider is recognised by us. Recognised Providers are different to the 'Preferred Providers' you may hear about through other health funds. When we say Recognised Providers we are simply referring to providers with the appropriate qualifications, licenses and rights to provide treatments to patients in Australia. The rest is down to your preference. It may also be worth asking if your Obstetrician is an Access Gap Doctor that can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses . You can use our ‘Find an Access Gap Doctor’ and our Find a ‘Contracted Hospital’ on our website. This can help you potentially avoid or significantly lower your out of pocket fees. Police Health's pregnancy and birth cover waiting periods are 12 months, just like all health insurers in Australia. To be eligible for benefits, your baby’s delivery date (not ‘expected’ or ‘due’ date) must be after you've finished your 12 months waiting period. This means, if you want private hospital care during your pregnancy and labour, you’ll need to take out our Gold Hospital cover before you're pregnant. If you’re already pregnant but only joined or upgraded your hospital cover in the last 12 months, your benefits may be lower or you may not be entitled to any benefits. Call us on 1800 603 603 to find out more. Yes, but only for the components that involve an admission to hospital as an ‘in-patient’ as well as those services that have a valid medicare item number that are eligible for benefits. For example, if your surgical procedure of harvesting eggs is carried out in an operating theatre you’ll be admitted as an in-patient to hospital. In this instance, Police Health's Gold Hospital cover will provide a benefit toward the theatre fees, hospital accommodation, and gap fees on medicare eligible inpatient services for anaesthetist and treating doctors. It's important to be aware that you may have to pay out-of-pocket costs in this situation and there are other costs to consider with IVF. For more information read our health insurance guide to IVF and pregnancy cover. You’ll need to officially register your newborn baby on your health insurance policy with Police Health. If you’re already on a Family policy (including Couples) or Single Parent Family policy with us, you need to add your baby within six months of birth. Assuming there are no other changes to the policy, this won’t change your premium. However, if you’ve been on a Single policy, you’ll need to upgrade to either a Family or Single Parent family policy within two months of your baby’s birth and back pay the difference in premiums from the date of your baby’s birth. Your baby will assume the same level of cover as you from birth, so if you’ve served all waiting periods, then so has your baby. By serving your 12 month hospital waiting periods before giving birth, your newborn will be covered if they need to be admitted into hospital in their own right. This normally only happens if there are complications For more information, read our pregnancy and birth guide. Yes, if you take out our Gold Combined cover which includes Rolling Extras you'll have access to a range of benefits. These can help you before birth and after birth, and include; Police Health covers some of the cost of Medical-grade compression maternity shorts. These can be used through your pregnancy and in the initial or post-natal period. To claim benefits you'll need our Gold Hospital cover or Gold Combined cover. Please note that to claim these shorts prior to birth, you need to submit a letter or referral from a medical practitioner or an allied health professional that outlines why it's required. Yes, Police Health is proud to offer Nourish Baby, Australia's only accredited online antenatal and parenting courses. It's free to members with Gold Hospital cover and Gold Combined cover. Please note, eligibility criteria applies. Pregnancy FAQs
*All benefits may be subject to Waiting Periods, Limits and other conditions. Providers must be recognised by us. Review the cover tables on the Combined, Hospital and Extras pages, and your State Premium and Benefit Guide or contact us for more information.