Pregnancy hospital cover

RBHS Gold Hospital cover gives you plenty of options when starting your own family. This page explains all you need to do to take out hospital cover so that you can have your newborn at a private hospital with the obstetrician of your choice (or even at a public hospital with your choice of obstetrician).

What you may not know is that extras cover is also useful before and after pregnancy. We explain which extras services you can take advantage of at the bottom of this page.

 

Two important things that apply to all health funds

Waiting period

A waiting period (including those for pre-existing conditions) of 12 months applies for pregnancy and birth.

If you transfer to RBHS from another fund, we recognise any waiting periods you have already served if you switch within 60 days. More detail about waiting periods is here.

To switch, just join RBHS on the same day you stop your cover with your old health fund (you will not spend any time without cover that way). We send your old health fund a request for details on your cover with them (this is called a Transfer Certificate) and then we recognise the waiting periods you have already served. Sometimes if you’ve used all of your annual limit with your old fund, you have to wait for the new year to renew your limits.

Excess

Thankfully RBHS does not have an excess to pay on Gold Hospital cover. However, an excess may apply when you go to hospital if you switched from another fund within 12 months and you had an excess there.

What are the benefits of hospital cover for your pregnancy?

  • Choose your own obstetrician and midwives whose expertise and delivery style suit you
  • You deal with the same team of obstetrician and midwives throughout your entire pregnancy
  • Food and accommodation options may be better
  • Bigger chance of getting a private room (depends on availability)

Which hospital cover do I need for pregnancy?

RBHS’s Gold Hospital cover. The specific category is called Pregnancy and birth.

Gold Hospital is the highest level of hospital cover in Australia, including all 38 clinical categories.

 

Get a quote

 

When do I need pregnancy cover?

12 months before the admission for the birth of your baby is the official waiting period. We encourage mothers to play it safe with timings. A couple of months up your sleeve to allow for an early birth could mean the difference between being able to use your hospital cover or not.

How do I use hospital cover to have a baby?

Simply follow the steps in our Going to Hospital Guide. But, in brief, you can choose your obstetrician with your GP.

Have you considered adding extras cover?

The public system doesn’t offer things outside hospital such as:

  • massages
  • hydrotherapy
  • dental care – gum disease is linked to premature birth and low birth weight*^

RBHS can provide benefits for the above services on some extras covers. To view our extras covers and waiting periods, visit our extras page.

Other important hospital cover info

There are some important things you need to know about your cover. Please click on the links below to read more.

 

 

* There are some government programs, generally means-tested (subject to income and/or social background criteria), that can help pay for some extras services. An example is the Child Dental Benefit Schedule. Another exception is treatment received under a Chronic Disease Management Plan. RBHS cannot provide benefits if you are receiving a benefit through one of these government programs/plans.
^Sources: Australian Dental Association, Department of Health (pregnancybirthbaby.org.au), BetterHealth Channel & Dental Health Services Victoria

 

Love a simple hospital guide

Going to hospital can be a stressful time. We can help.

Read more