Pregnancy and your OVHC
Having a baby is one of life’s biggest journeys and at CBHS International Health we’re here to help you with your health and wellbeing during pregnancy and birth.
In Australia, pregnancy care for you and your baby is provided by specialist obstetricians or midwives. These services can be very expensive within Australia. As soon as you know you're pregnant, please contact us immediately so we can help you receive the best care possible.
Please make sure you get in touch with us as soon as you fall pregnant
so that we can give you details on all the programs and services
available to you as a member, including:
- Finding a doctor or obstetrician that participates in our Access Gap Cover (AGC) scheme
- Finding a contracted private hospital close to you
- Enrolling you in a pregnancy program that provides information on pregnancy, birth, and mother and baby health.
CBHS International has partnered with Remedy Healthcare to provide you free^ access to the Bump to Baby program. Bump to Baby offers an understanding and reassuring voice that provides expertise and support from pregnancy, right through to the first year of your child’s life.
As an expectant or new parent, you can face a range of challenges – physical, mental, and social – during pregnancy and on the journey to parenthood. While support and information are available in the wider community, it can often be overwhelming working out which source of information is best for you and your family.
*Refer to your level of health cover for eligibility, service limits, benefits, and any applicable waiting periods. ^FREE means $0 out-of-pocket costs for eligible members. OVHC Base Hospital members are not eligible. Non-eligible members can access these services but will have to pay the fee and can’t make a claim.
Inpatient pregnancy is a restricted service for both OVHC Base Hospital and OVHC Mid Hospital and Medical and has a $500 excess.
There is a 12-month waiting period that you need to serve before you're eligible for benefits toward pregnancy services. The 12-month waiting period starts from the date the policy is activated. So, if your OVHC policy started on 3 January, 2020 and your baby is due 30 September, 2020, then you would not be covered by your OVHC policy because you'd still be within the 12 month waiting period.
If you joined 3 January, 2020 and your baby is due on 20th February, 2021, then you'd be eligible for benefits toward pregnancy services under your OVHC policy (depending on your level of cover).
A waiting period is the period between the date your cover becomes effective and the time you need to serve before you're eligible for that procedure or service. During this time no benefit is payable for procedures or services that have a waiting period.
If you try to claim on items such as pregnancy when you haven't served the 12 month waiting period, you'll need to be aware that you'll incur significant up-front and additional out-of-pocket costs. These costs are an average $16,000 depending on the level of maternity service / care provided. During a waiting period, these costs are your responsibility because they're not yet covered by your OVHC policy.
In all instances, you'll need to notify us on 1300 174 538 as soon as possible so we can help you find lower cost options and pre-natal programs.
Your costs will be minimised if you have:
- Contacted CBHS International Health
- Seen a doctor or obstetrician who participates in our Access Gap Cover (AGC) scheme
- You're booked into one of our contracted private hospitals.
If you've served your waiting period, contacted CBHS International Health and used a doctor, or obstetrician who participates in our Access Gap Cover (AGC) scheme, and you are booked at one of our contracted private hospitals, your costs will be minimised.
We partner with health care practitioners, service providers and hospitals that provide the best care with the lowest out-of-pocket costs.
CBHS International Health holds agreements with an extensive range of Australian private hospitals and day surgeries (agreement hospitals). These agreements ensure hospital fees including bed, theatre, labour ward and intensive care fees are covered when
you're admitted as a patient to hospital, up to any relevant service limit.
If you use the doctor or obstetrician services who are NOT participating in our Access Gap Cover (AGC) scheme, this can result in large out-of-pocket costs. This is also similar to any charges incurred in a non-agreement hospital. You'll only
receive benefits similar to a public hospital shared room rate which can result in substantial out-of-pocket expenses.
That's why it's important that you contact us as soon as possible so we can guide you on how to reduce, if not eliminate, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor or obstetrician and hospital fees.
If you're on a Single or Couples CBHS International OVHC Policy, your newborn baby will automatically be added to your cover, effective from their birth date. They won't need to serve any waiting periods already served by you, provided that:
- You inform us during your first trimester so that we can give you access to our online childbirth education and information about pregnancy programs.
- You update to a family or sole parent policy within two month of your baby's birth date. If your baby is not added within two months of birth (from their birth date), all waits apply.
However, we recommend updating your policy three months before the expected birth date in case your baby arrives early.
