Planning for a baby is a surreal feeling and undoubtedly, one of the most happening times of a couple’s life. Yet it is the most crucial time to take important decisions about the mother’s and the child’s health. Yes, we are talking about health insurance. Having pregnancy health insurance in Australia can be the easiest way out for you to smoothly cover your pregnancy.

The reason is hospital expenses in Australia are huge. If you are someone who migrated from another country to Australia or are studying, managing everything without being stressed can be daunting. Australia has various health insurance plans for overseas people – Overseas Student Health Cover and Overseas Visitor Health Cover.

Both insurances cover various medical benefits at affordable costs. Choosing one for yourself and your baby can shape your prenatal care. After all, having a baby is expensive in itself. There is so much you need to take care of every day and most importantly, health. Enlisted are some questions you must ask or consider when planning for a baby:

When to buy a health insurance policy?

Did you know the majority of private health insurance policies have a 12-month waiting period? This means you cannot claim any medical benefit from your health insurance during this period. Therefore, if you want private obstetric care at the time of your pregnancy and birth, you must consider one of the following:

· Buy private health insurance with the required coverage, 12 months before you plan a baby.

· Upgrade your current health insurance, 12 months before you plan a baby.

· Include coverage for yourself too.

What to look for in a health insurance policy for pregnancy and birth?

It is the right decision to crosscheck with the hospital, your doctor, or your midwife before buying private health insurance for your pregnancy. This is to ensure that you have the relevant health insurance and you are aware of the cost that will incur from your end. Therefore, go through your health insurance policy carefully and with full focus.

Will the policy cover the new baby?

It is very important that your baby be covered under health insurance from birth until a certain time. Check with your health insurance provider about the benefits of covering newborn babies as well as if your baby will be covered automatically after the birth or not.

What if the baby is unwell or premature?

Babies, who are born premature or are unwell, are kept in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - NICU with utmost care. Medicare will cover most of the costs involved in such cases if you are a public hospital patient. However, if you are in a private hospital, and have a preterm baby in your health insurer’s waiting period, your baby will not be covered for extra care costs. In other words, if your baby is born unwell or premature, you will have to pay for their nursery care, medicines, hospital accommodations, etc. Therefore, ask your health insurance provider about the medical benefits included in your health insurance for your baby when he is unwell or premature.

What if there are twins or triplets or more?

There are few yet rare cases of multiple pregnancies, however, if your pregnancy is among one of those cases, you will have to pay for the care of your babies in the hospital. Also, in multiple pregnancies, babies are born prematurely. Here, you will need NICU and other care. Therefore, consult your health insurance provider for a better understanding of medical coverage in such cases.

What are out-of-pocket costs?

A few costs are not covered under private health insurance such as:

· Consultations with specialists and check-ups with your obstetrician

· Some amount of the hospital fees

· frequent pediatrician visits

The Final Thought!

Budget Policy can assist you better with private health insurance in Australia as well as can help you compare different policies under one roof. It is a third-party platform popular for providing OSHC and OVHC policies from Australia’s well-known health insurance providers – NIB, BUPA, AHM, Medibank, Allianz Care, etc.

We have a team of experts dealing in all kinds of health insurance policies in Australia, bringing excellent, and satisfactory services for our clients. Reach us today to know more!