Which HIF policies cover pregnancy and birth related services?
Our premium Hospital cover option.
Insurance that’s worth the wait.
If you’re taking out maternity cover for the first time, the waiting period for all pregnancy and birth related services is 12 months.
That means you’ll need to have held pregnancy and birth cover for 12 months prior to your delivery date - so remember, it’s important to plan ahead and take out private hospital insurance as early as possible. That way, you’ll have already served your hospital waiting periods long before your new bub arrives.
If you choose to switch to HIF from an equivalent or higher level of Hospital Cover with another insurer, you can rest easy in the knowledge that we’ll automatically honour your previous policy. That means that you won’t have to re-serve any hospital waiting periods already served with your old fund, including maternity.
Access-what Cover?
AccessGap Cover is our medical gap cover arrangement, designed to minimise or eliminate your out-of-pocket expenses for medical services when you’re an inpatient in a registered hospital or day facility. Some doctors - including your chosen obstetrician - may charge more than the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), leaving patients who don’t have gap cover insurance with (sometimes significant) out-of-pocket expenses for the difference between the fee charged and the MBS.
The good news is that AccessGap Cover is designed to minimise or eliminate these out of pocket expenses for medical services whilst an in-patient in a registered overnight hospital or day facility. Australian doctors can nominate to opt in or out of the AccessGap, which may mean that if you choose an AccessGap Doctor you can have lower out-of-pocket costs. That's why we always recommend requesting a list of fees in advance, then we can provide you with a Medical Benefit Estimate and advise you of HIF's contribution upfront.
Useful tip: If you hold private hospital cover, it’s always advisable to ask EACH doctor, obstetrician or specialist if they will treat you under the AccessGap arrangement in order to reduce or elimate any potential medical gaps. To search for a list of registered participating specialists, please visit our AccessGap Specialists page.
What to expect once you're expecting with HIF.
Once you're expecting (hooray!), you can choose your own hospital, obstetrician and other specialists. Some obstetricians will only deliver at certain hospitals and will usually book your hospital stay for you. It’s best to book early so you have a better chance of getting into the hospital that you and your obstetrician choose. In the meantime, here are some commonly asked questions about maternity stays with HIF...
What does my hospital stay involve?
Depending on your level of cover, you'll enjoy private room accommodation in an HIF-contracted hospital1. Even better, your partner may be able to stay with you in hospital as a boarder at no extra cost too
Will I incur any extra expenses?
Your private hospital insurance only pays benefits for services provided while you’re admitted to hospital as an inpatient. But don't worry, you can claim any outpatient medical services (such as GP visits, specialist consultations, confinement fee and obstetrician’s check-ups) from Medicare. You will need to pay your hospital excess though, plus any personal expenses like additional meals for your partner or any other expenses not covered by our agreement with the hospital (including drugs issued on discharge).
What happens if my baby needs hospital treatment?
If your newborn requires a medical procedure or a visit to the special care nursery, they’ll be admitted to the hospital as an inpatient. That means your bub will be covered for things like accommodation, intensive care, ward and theatre fees as long as you’ve already added them to your HIF membership. That's why it's important to update your policy as soon as you can once your new bundle of joy arrives.
How long can my baby stay on my HIF policy?
If you hold a single membership, you have two months from your baby’s date of birth to add them to your policy. If you add them after two months, they’ll have to serve waiting periods. If you hold a couple/family membership, you have four years from your baby’s date of birth to add them to your policy. If you add them after four years, they’ll have to serve waiting periods. There’s also no limit to the number of kids you can add to a family policy, which is great news if you plan to have a big family (or end up with three sets of triplets!).
Related Articles
View related information about HIF maternity cover
Find out more about HIF Hospital Cover.
Use the panels below to learn more about commonly used inpatient services.