Fund to cut cost of birth

AUSSIE mums will be able to access a gap-free private birth which will save them up to $10,000.

Health fund Bupa is trialling a program to cover out-ofpocket fees and is negotiating with a private hospital and a group of obstetricians who will accept Medicare and health funds rebates as their only payment for delivering a baby.

“We are in the early stages of a pilot program that will deliver Bupa members no out-ofpocket costs for their antenatal, delivery and post-natal care provided by an obstetrician and eligible midwife,” the health fund said.

Massive fees for private obstetricians that are not covered by either Medicare or health funds are thought to be driving women to use the public hospital system to give birth.

The number of women giving birth in private hospitals dropped by 4051 between 2009-10 and 2014-15.

Health funds are worried if consumers don’t join a health fund, when they have a baby they may be less likely than ever to take out health cover.

A report on medical gaps prepared for Private Health Care Australia last year shows eight out of 10 obstetricians charge more than double the Medicare fee for a birth.

Almost one in five charge three times the Medicare fee.

The average gap fee for a woman having a caesarean in a private hospital in 2015-16 was $868 to $874, for a vaginal delivery the gap was averaged $702 to $717.

In addition many obstetricians charge pregnancy management fees of between $2000 and $10,000 that are not covered by health funds or Medicare.