28 May 4 Health Insurance Mistakes Every Mum-to-be Can Avoid

Thinking of having a baby? Health insurance probably isn’t at the forefront of your mind, yet working out your health cover from the start is an important part of family planning.

Unfortunately, many mums-to-be think about health insurance too late, and end up being caught off-guard by what is or isn’t included in their cover. Here are four mistakes you can avoid:

Don’t Wait Until You’re Pregnant

According to a recent survey, over half of the women surveyed without private health insurance didn’t realise they needed the relevant health insurance package for a year before they had their baby. The fact is you need to serve a 12-month waiting period before you can claim on hospital and medical costs for childbirth from your health insurer, so the best time to get your cover in place isn’t when you get pregnant, but as soon as you decide to consider starting a family. After all, it could all happen a lot faster than you think.

Don’t Assume Pregnancy Is Covered

Not all health insurance policies cover pregnancy, so do your research if you want to protect against any unwanted (and possibly expensive) surprises. Many lower-cost policies may only cover minimum benefits for obstetrics, or may only cover you as a private patient in a public hospital. It’s also worth noting that health insurance can only cover inpatient services while you’re admitted to a hospital. Costs incurred outside of hospital including GP visits, obstetrician check-ups, and some tests and scans can only be claimed through Medicare. Another important thing to consider is whether your policy covers your baby once they are born, in case they require immediate hospital care. Most single policies won’t cover your baby, so you’ll need to shop around for a family package.cover.

Don’t Believe All Health Cover Is the Same

The range of benefits available during pregnancy and beyond vary greatly from insurer to insurer. So if you’re looking for maximum value from your cover, it pays to take some time to compare features between health insurers. Health insurance can also provide little things that make a huge difference to your whole experience.