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With top bupa cover I was out of pocket about $7000 for my private birth in 2016 in Brisbane, and about $11000 in Canberra in 2021. While you only pay the excess for your hospital stay, the anaesthetist and paediatrician cost money, the OB has fees, one of my hospitals charged an extra fee for a csec, every scan costs money, every appointment with an OB before birth costs money.
It only really covers your stay at the private hospital. I gave birth in Sydney at north shore private last year. I had to pay about $6000 for OB, $500 for Anaesthetist for epidural, $500 for paediatrician. My cover also had a $350 excess. If you have a c section you also have to pay an extra fee for an additional surgeon. If you contact your private health, the hospital and OB you choose they can give you a break down of exact costs. It depends on what is important you when deciding private vs public. I am quite anxious so I having the same ob throughout pregnancy and at the birth, and having lots of scans etc was really important to me.
Basically it covers all hospital inpatient expenses for any related admission, including giving birth except for your excess. The doctors fees (ob, anaesthetist) are covered up to the medicare benefit schedule and if they charge extra you have to pay the amount that is over the schedule fee. It is important to note that any outpatient service (consultations, ultrasounds, pathology tests) are not covered by private health. Only medicare as it is how the system is designed. So whatever your ob charges for consultations and management of your pregnancy is rebatable by medicare up to the schedule fees. Usually the biggest expense they charge is a "management fee" or "pregnancy planning fee". It varies from doctor to doctor as they decide their fees.
It covers everything hospital stay related. You still have to pay for OB management fee, OB appointments, anaesthesitist & hospital specialists post birth but you get money back with all of them (either from Medicare or the health fund).
In 2018 I had to pay about $3k out of pocket for the OB and around $500 each for anaesthetist and hospital excess. For me it was worth it for the private hospital experience, I ended up being there a week so having my own room, my husband able to stay and a high level of support was great.
I had the top cover with Medibank and gave birth via c-section in July 2024. My out of pocket expenses were approximately $6k and that included my OB fees, excess, paediatrician, anaesthetist, ultrasounds and pathology tests.
Oh dear. I had an obgyn who also had her own practice and happened to specialise in doing literally everything. She did the scans as well herself and for free so that definitely saves. It's ridiculous that you have private insurance but still paying so much goodness.
I went private through a public hospital, was more concerned with having the same OB (she was insanely good). I only paid for my scheduled scans and that was it. I was expecting to get stung at the end because I was in hospital for 5 days but I saw that Bupa covered everything (gold cover). I would very much advise by finding your OB and seeing where they practice, hope you find what works for you x
My experience was everything was covered by my private health insurance, except the anaesthetist and the paediatrician that visits while in hospital. I had hoped to have a natural birth but ended up having a caesarean. But I think it all depends on your health cover and your level of cover, so it can be good to speak to them to check these things beforehand. Sometimes as well, you’re covered for additional things. For example I was able to claim for part of my breast pump as well as recovery tights and some pregnancy classes.