Private Health Funds Covering Midwifery and Homebirth

This article is a summary of what different Australian Health Funds offer in terms of Private Midwifery (hiring your own midwife) / Homebirth cover. The details are believed to be correct at the time of writing; however they may change from time to time and I will endevour to keep them updated as I become notified. So please make sure when you call these funds that you confirm all details to ensure you are getting what I have included below.

You usually need 12 months waiting period or 12 months of identical cover before you can receive benefits for such services. If you are already part of a private health fund, there are no waiting periods if you swap funds, should you have already waited the given period with the previous fund. Some funds do require identical cover though.

AUSTRALIAN UNITY

Updated 15th March 06. If you wish to have a homebirth, you need Life Choice Plus cover and will be required to write into them with details of intention to have a homebirth. Once approved, they will cover you given you have had 12 months waiting period with them or if you are transferring from a fund with similar cover i.e. not Obstetric – must have midwifery cover. The amount they will cover is up to $3000 including attendance and pre/post natal visits. If you have not got similar cover, they will cover up to $620 which is the same amount for midwife attendance in a hospital. Of course, if you have a private Ob as back-up and need to transfer, they wont cover both, however if you need to transfer and do so in a public hospital, they will still cover you for the private midwifery / ‘planned’ homebirth.

DEFENCE HEALTH

Defence Health Midwifery benefits are only available for members contributing to Private Hospital cover. The restrictions and benefits of the entitlement are as follows:

• Over all midwifery benefit maximum of $750 per person per confinement.
• Should a medical practitioner intervene and take over the delivery, midwifery benefit will not be available.
• This benefit is only available to members contributing to a Top Hospital product.
• Services include home births, confinements at a birthing centre and ante/post natal care.
• Services provided by an approved registers midwife in practice.
• Ante/Post natal care up to $20 per visit to a maximum of 10 visits per pregnancy.
• Up to $550 for confinement, delivery at home or in a registered hospital birthing facility.

GRAND UNITED

Grand United recently merged with Australian Unity in October 2005 – see details for Australian Unity.

HBA

HBA are currently working on a midwifery/homebirth offering which should be available before the end of 2008. Any enquiries should be directed to Jenni Doherty of HBA who is part of this initiative.

HBF

HBF will cover home births up to $1600. Their cover is comparatively cheap – with their Healthy Saver option, you will still get full maternity coverage, but not the things you may not need, like heart surgery and hip replacements. HBF is based in W.A. but cover nationally.

MEDIBANK PRIVATE

No benefits at all. If you would like to have your voice heard about having this option available from Medibank Private please do so – simply write to Medibank Private and complain about the total lack of competition from this provider. You can do so via their website email form here or check out the other contact details on their contact page.

NIB

10 ante-natal visits – $13 back per visit
10 post-natal visits – $13 back per visit
$220 back for the birth cost

This is as per the safeguard cover and if you have a private Ob as back-up, there are some changes to these amounts so you need to clarify, but not if you go public. 100% ambulance cover.

Kelly Zantey is a birth attendant (aka doula) the creator of BellyBelly, mum to two beautiful children and has just opened the BellyBelly Pregnancy Centre in Canterbury, VIC.