Admitted as a private patient in public hospital? What is this? I just literally booked in to say I’ll deliver there.. what does it have to do with being a private patient?

Hi there, This is what happened with my pregnancy. I had to pay the OB fees for the delivery of my baby and the hospital charged me seperately as well (was a public hospital too and I didn’t have any private insurance) the hospital cost about $2.7k with about $600 back from Medicare I believe. That charge was basically just for the bed. Perk was they couldn’t kick me out prior to being in there for 4 days (they tried though…) Only way to avoid it, would be to have a public OB- which would be random, and could potentially not be your chosen OB

@Tiarne why is there such a charge? Is there any way to avoid it? It doesn’t make sense? I get the ob fees part but not the hospital stay part

I’m not sure why this charge exists and unfortunately I don’t think there’s a way to avoid it besides going through the public system. I think it’s because you’ve opted to go with a private OB rather than public one even though your OB operates out of a public hospital

I’m confused about all this too. With my first baby through the private system, I was shocked by all the other fees I had to pay that weren’t covered by my insurance. The $9000 OBGYN I was expecting but we also had to pay things in the hospital like the paediatrician, anaesthetist (for c-section or epidural), assistant doctor etc. and also all the scans in the lead up! Second time around I wanted to have an obstetrician again but was looking into going to a public hospital as a private patient… from the people i spoke to there it seemed my insurance would cover the hospital fees but I would still be up for all these other fees again (in which case, why would you go to the public hospital and not the private one?!). In the end I went full public and paid nothing.

So I’m not 100% sure but I’d suspect without insurance, as a private patient you’d not only have to pay the hospital fee but extra costs if you want an epidural, need a c-section (e.g. assistant surgeon) or require any additional services e.g. diabetes care. These things cost for private patients but not public patients I think…

If you have a private obgyn or have consulted one outside of the hospital and they have visiting rights where you want to deliver, you technically are a private patient. Someone should have explained this to you and the fees involved before hand. If you go to the public from the start of your care (which could have happened under either a high risk team or maternal fetal medicine), you would have been considered a public patient or could also elect to be a private patient in a public hospital (no real advantages, apart from being able to choose your own doctor). Sorry, I don’t know your circumstances, but that is my understanding as someone who works in a public hospital and who has also birthed in them.

@Rebecca unfortunately, all health funds with pregnancy cover only cover you for inpatient appointments and costs involved with admission. Anything as an outpatient, even for most non-pregnancy things aren’t covered; unless specified in your policy. As a private patient, you are covered for some costs associated with other consulting teams, but not all.

@Rebecca it totally depends on if you have Medicare and what the circumstances are around this. With a private obygyn, most times you can elect to birth in the public, but only as a private patient. All the costs youu in previously mentioned apply (bed costs, theatre fee, anaesthesiologist and any other consulting specialists).

@Tiarne but I already paid the management fees of $4k to my ob so it seems too late.. I haven’t yet paid for the delivery yet.. I’m just shocked after my OB told me this at my 31 week appointment.. like if I knew if this was the case I would have went full public before paying the 4K to my OB.

@Rebecca I’m already seeing the diabetes team at the public hospital so I’m not sure what’s happening.. I just feel let down and not sure by whom as someone should have mentioned this from the beginning

@Alana exactly, no one mentioned this to me and only got to know about this from my obgynae at 31 weeks.. I feel she should have said it earlier. So am I private patient in a public hospital or a private patient? It’s really confusing at this point

@Tiarne did they charge you for the anasthetist/epidural, Paediatrician costs etc? Or just for the rooms? Sounds like you and me in the same situation as I got no private health insurance either. It’s really frustrating and I feel blind sided as no one mentioned this to me at all my gynae appts esp when we discussed costs

They should have told you. Some obgyn’s charge $10K upwards, just for outpatient management fees.

That’s honestly disgusting- they should’ve told you. All the fee’s were outlined to me prior to committing. I wasn’t charged for any of that- purely the room. This was Blacktown hospital

Unless it’s a private hospital, you are technically going into the public as a private patient; which means you will have to pay the excess and any other fees which aren’t fully covered by your health fund. They might have assumed that you knew. Most people who see private obgyn’s birth in the private system. It’s quite rare for someone who forks out that kind of money to birth in the public.

They will still charge you bed, theatre; anaesthetist and paediatrician fees (if consulted). It might be worth checking with your fund how it all works and what you’re covered for.

@Alana the management fees is settled and I already paid 4K for that. The delivery charge is not paid yet and that’s around 2k. I feel like when we had the discussion about choosing a private or public hospital, this additional costs should have been brought up. Now I don’t know what to do.. I feel so upset I feel like ditching my obgynae and go full public. The additional costs seem so unnecessary at this point for an obgynae who was not transparent

@Alana I don’t have private health fund so does it mean it’s free?

@Alana so my understanding is correct? OP I’ve honestly found the whole thing so confusing, even specifically asking my OBGYN and the hospital, and I never felt that I fully understood the costs and the whole private in the public thing. Glad I didn’t take the risk! It’s a shame that no one is able to explain this clearly to us when we need the info. How are you meant to know to ask when you haven’t been through the systems before? Many people can’t afford those costs!

Of course it should have been brought up and I understand your frustration. Do you have Medicare? Maybe you can contact the hospital and find out what your rights are with regards to fees? I’m sorry you have to deal with this!

I’m sorry, I don’t know the fill circumstances. It’s probably best to speak directly with the hospital. Every public hospital also has a patient liaison officer, they might also be able to assist.

@Rebecca I don’t know the full circumstances or if the OP has Medicare, but there are usually significant out of pocket costs if you are truly considered a private patient. I suggested speaking directly with the hospital, if the costs or anything else is unclear at this point.

@Tiarne only obgynae fees were outlined to me. I only got to know about the public hospital fees like now at 31 weeks.

@Alana yes I am going to do that because it’s so bizarre to have to pay for so much. I do have Medicare and I thought I just had to pay the ob fees and not the anything related to hospital because I am supposedly eligible to get admitted as a public patient and only difference is my doctor has visitation right there to deliver my baby. Anything else should be free for me but seems like the rules are so biased towards a private patient. I wish I knew earlier!

Hopefully it’s all a misunderstanding and you won’t be out of pocket!

That’s still not right. My OB explained I would be out of pocket by the hospital as well

@Tiarne when did she tell you that? I would expect to be told right from the start when she shared her management fees..

I was told at the start (I started seeing them from about 16 weeks) They outlined their fees (birth and pregnancy management) And what rhe hospital fee would be.

@Tiarne she probably didn’t tell me because I was undecided about whether I wanted to go private hospital or public. That’s about the only benefit of doubt I can give.. the moment I chose public then she shared.. still doesn’t seem right..

No it doesn’t 😔

Any updates? Did you manage to sort things out?

@Alana no update yet but working on it. Will update once I get more info.

I hope you get some answers/a solution soon