Private health insurance and pregnancy cover

Yes, and we recommend our Gold Combined heath insurance for pregnancy and birth cover, as well as throughout the early years of parenthood. Our combined cover  includes Gold Hospital and Rolling Extras, but is a more cost-effective way to hold both types of cover. 

Choosing our Gold Combined cover means you have our best health insurance for pregnancy and birth, and beyond, because you can claim benefits for both Hospital and Extras services you use throughout your pregnancy and parenting journey.  

At a minimum we recommend you take out Gold Hospital cover. This type of private health insurance covers you if you’d like to have your baby in the private hospital system. 

Waiting periods, and other terms and conditions apply. For more information, please read our pregnancy guide. 

 It can assist with the costs of private hospital care, your obstetrician's fees related to your admission in hospital, and potentially other pregnancy-related services. 

Our Gold Hospital cover includes 

• 100% of midwifery, labour ward and theatre fees at Contracted Hospitals 

• Accommodation fees – the room you'll stay in at the hospital 

• Free access to Nourish Baby, Australia's only accredited online antenatal and parenting courses (eligibility criteria applies, only available to members with Gold Hospital cover and Gold Combined cover) 

It also includes the gap for medicare-eligible services for fees for Obstetricians, Anaesthetists, Radiologists, and Pathologists while you are an in-patient in hospital. At a minimum, we will cover the difference between the Medicare rebate and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Fee.  

If your doctor chooses to use our Access Gap Cover and charge the schedule of fees of that scheme, we can cover up to 100% of the doctor’s agreed fee . 

It’s important to note that private hospital insurance cannot be used to help cover Obstetrics fees during any out-patient appointments and out-of-pocket costs will apply, as these are covered by Medicare.  

If you take out our Gold Combined cover, the Extras component can help cover some of the cost of services you may turn to help you feel more comfortable throughout your pregnancy, including; 

• Physiotherapy
• Dietitian
• Podiatry
• Remedial massage 

There are many benefits to private health pregnancy cover, including being able to choose; 

• Your own obstetrician who can provide a tailored service to your needs
• If you'd like to see the same doctor or midwife throughout your pregnancy
• Which hospital you give birth at
• To request your own private room, where your partner may also be able to stay overnight (subject to availability, talk to your hospital first)
• Longer stay in hospital post giving birth, to aid recovery and provide support in caring for and feeding your newborn over the first few days.  

To see more benefits, read our pregnancy guide and see how it can help you. 

No, we give you the freedom to choose. One of the many benefits of private health insurance is having the option to choose who treats you and where. 

With Police Health, you can choose; 

• Your own obstetrician who can provide a tailored service to your needs
• If you'd like to see the same doctor or midwife throughout your pregnancy
• Which hospital you give birth at
• To request your own private room 

You can choose these as long as the provider is recognised by us. Recognised Providers are different to the 'Preferred Providers' you may hear about through other health funds. 

When we say Recognised Providers we are simply referring to providers with the appropriate qualifications, licenses and rights to provide treatments to patients in Australia. The rest is down to your preference. 

It may also be worth asking if your Obstetrician is an Access Gap Doctor that can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses . You can use our ‘Find an Access Gap Doctor’ and our Find a ‘Contracted Hospital’ on our website. This can help you potentially avoid or significantly lower your out of pocket fees. 

Police Health's pregnancy and birth cover waiting periods are 12 months, just like all health insurers in Australia.  

To be eligible for benefits, your baby’s delivery date (not ‘expected’ or ‘due’ date) must be after you've finished your 12 months waiting period.  

This means, if you want private hospital care during your pregnancy and labour, you’ll need to take out our Gold Hospital cover before you're pregnant. 

If you’re already pregnant but only joined or upgraded your hospital cover in the last 12 months, your benefits may be lower or you may not be entitled to any benefits. 

Call us on 1800 603 603 to find out more. 

Yes, but only for the components that involve an admission to hospital as an ‘in-patient’ as well as those services that have a valid medicare item number that are eligible for benefits. 

For example, if your surgical procedure of harvesting eggs is carried out in an operating theatre you’ll be admitted as an in-patient to hospital. 

In this instance, Police Health's Gold Hospital cover will provide a benefit toward the theatre fees, hospital accommodation, and gap fees on medicare eligible inpatient services for anaesthetist and treating doctors. 

It's important to be aware that you may have to pay out-of-pocket costs in this situation and there are other costs to consider with IVF. 

For more information read our health insurance guide to IVF and pregnancy cover. 

You’ll need to officially register your newborn baby on your health insurance policy with Police Health. 

If you’re already on a Family policy (including Couples) or Single Parent Family policy with us, you need to add your baby within six months of birth. 

Assuming there are no other changes to the policy, this won’t change your premium. 

However, if you’ve been on a Single policy, you’ll need to upgrade to either a Family or Single Parent family policy within two months of your baby’s birth and back pay the difference in premiums from the date of your baby’s birth. 

Your baby will assume the same level of cover as you from birth, so if you’ve served all waiting periods, then so has your baby. 

By serving your 12 month hospital waiting periods before giving birth, your newborn will be covered if they need to be admitted into hospital in their own right.  

This normally only happens if there are complications For more information, read our pregnancy and birth guide. 

Yes, if you take out our Gold Combined cover which includes Rolling Extras you'll have access to a range of benefits. 

These can help you before birth and after birth, and include; 

• Remedial massage to help manage aches and pains
• Dental to manage and prevent dental problems that can happen during pregnancy
• Mental health support through Psychologists and Counsellors
• Dietitian advice that's tailored to your pregnancy
• Physiotherapy to help with pelvic floor issues 

Police Health covers some of the cost of Medical-grade compression maternity shorts. 

These can be used through your pregnancy and in the initial or post-natal period. To claim benefits you'll need our Gold Hospital cover or Gold Combined cover. 

Please note that to claim these shorts prior to birth, you need to submit a letter or referral from a medical practitioner or an allied health professional that outlines why it's required. 

Yes, Police Health is proud to offer Nourish Baby, Australia's only accredited online antenatal and parenting courses. 

It's free to members with Gold Hospital cover and Gold Combined cover. Please note, eligibility criteria applies. 

[Read more about Nourish Baby