OSHCstudents – If you are pregnant or planning to be pregnant while in Australia, here is everything you need to know.
Does my OSHC cover pregnancy-related care?
Yes, you will be covered for pregnancy-related services including ultrasounds, blood tests, childbirth or termination. Check your policy information for the level of your pregnancy cover.
Generally, you are required to meet the 12-month waiting period for all pregnancy-related conditions to be covered.
Types of pregnancy care
The first step is to consult your local doctor for their recommendations of an obstetrician or qualified local doctor/midwife who participates in a shared maternity care program to manage your pregnancy. Your chosen medical practitioner/specialist will then see you on a regular basis throughout your pregnancy.
SHARED MATERNITY CARE means that during your pregnancy you can see the same local doctor (GP), or community midwife for most of your pregnancy visits. You will visit the hospital early in your pregnancy and again at 36 weeks. Together, the hospital and your chosen local doctor/midwife will share your care.
OBSTETRICIANS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS specialize in pregnancies and birth. If you experience complications during your pregnancy an obstetrician will be involved in your care. You will attend the public hospital antenatal clinic to see doctors and midwives. Your local doctor will refer you to your closest public hospital for your initial consultation.
A PRIVATE OBSTETRICIAN means you can choose which private obstetrician you would like to manage your pregnancy and delivery of your baby. Your chosen obstetrician will be affiliated with specific hospitals. If you have selected your obstetrician, you will need to have your baby at the hospital that they are affiliated with. If you prefer, you can choose your hospital first, then ask the hospital for a list of obstetricians. You need to obtain a referral from your local doctor and take this to your first obstetric appointment. Private obstetricians set their own fees. As such you will need to contact their surgery to confirm their fees and the Medicare item numbers.
Choosing your hospital
There are a number of options when it comes to choosing where to have your baby. You can have your baby:
- As an OSHC patient in a public hospital
- As a private patient in a public hospital
- As a private patient in a private hospital.
Understand your hospital options here
After the birth
After the birth of your baby, you can expect to stay in a public hospital for 48 hours following a normal birth or 72 hours following cesarean delivery.
In a private hospital, you can expect to stay for four days following a normal delivery and four to five days following cesarean delivery. The actual length of your stay will depend on your well-being and the health of your baby.
From birth, family doctors, pediatricians and child health nurses provide care for babies and children including performing routine check-ups to monitor growth and development.
Upgrading the OSHC Policy
OSHC comprises of three policies- Single, Dual and Multi-family. If you fall pregnant in Australia, you need to upgrade your policy.
- If your policy covers the benefits for a single person, you need to upgrade to dual or multi-family policy. Either of these options will mean an increase to your premium.
- If you are on dual family policy and have one spouse or recognised de-facto and more than one dependent child in your policy, you need to upgrade it to multi-family policy. Both dual and multi-family policy will increase the amount of premium you pay for the policy.
- However, if you are already on multi-family policy, you just need to add baby in your policy and there will not be any changes in your premium.
When should I upgrade my policy?
You can purchase your upgraded policy before your baby is born, or you have 60 days to upgrade your policy post-birth. If you do not upgrade within 60 days of your baby’s birth, this may affect your coverage, serving waiting periods and premium. Your upgraded policy start date can be adjusted once your child is born. Any adjustments to the premium can be addressed at this time.
How do I upgrade my policy?
Contact Annalink team or your provider before your baby is born or within 60 days to ensure you have the right level of cover to add your baby to your OSHC policy or to upgrade.
If you are international students, foreigners arriving to Australia, or Australian citizens traveling abroad looking for OSHC, OVHC, travel insurance, please contact OSHCstudents Team at email: info@oshcstudents.com and our partners for further information and assistance.
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