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Childbirth

health insurance recommendations?

6 replies

cricket13 · 03/02/2013 09:09

I have just moved here from America and want to get health insurance to cover a possible future cesarean. I had two emergency cesareans in America and will need a planned one if I have a third. I would like to use a private hospital as I just don't think I could manage with the standard of care I have heard about with the NHS, especially after surgery. What have your experiences been with insurance companies covering medically necessary cesareans? I want to choose the company that will give me the least hassle. Thanks!

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QTPie · 03/02/2013 13:57

I am afraid that most insurance companies are trying to cut cover, even for caesarean births. Those that are not actively trying to get rid of it altogether are just not raising the "caps" on payments anywhere in lime with the rice rises in the hospitals for the procedure (I had an ELCS for breech 3 years ago and BUPA would only give me about £3600 of the £15k total cost).

Normal British insurance companies only cover the "bare bones" for CS and exclude prenatal cover (only cover the op itself and maybe a few nights in hospital - Bupa didn't cover any more me!)

I think that you may want to look for a more specialist policy. Try "Bupa International" (seperate from Bupa) and see what they cover these days - have heard some more positive things about them on here.

When do you hope to get pregnant again? Watch out for minimum qualifying membership periods (often a year).

We are currently trying TTC DC2 (although due to start IVF-ICSi this month - so not exactly going well!) and nolonger have a policy which covers CS: the cost/benefit (re CS) of the old policy wasn't worth it. We have accepted that we will self pay, completely, for further private maternity.

QT

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cricket13 · 03/02/2013 14:54

Thank you so much QT that is really helpful. Probably won't try for pregnancy until next year and definitely want to figure all this out first. Will look into BUPA International, but I see what you're saying about self-pay just being simpler in the end.

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Unicorn007 · 03/02/2013 22:03

Hi. I am on BUPA international, they cover general maternity up to 10k per yr with a 20% co pay. Medically necessary c section they cover all of it. Have found them to be very good, had no problems with them paying out but their policy is expensive as you'd imagine.

HTH

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cricket13 · 04/02/2013 07:17

That is so good to know HTH, thank you so much. Will definitely pursue BUPA International.

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BlameItOnTheBogey · 04/02/2013 07:22

Cricket - if you are american then I'd get an international policy from the States, rather than a British policy. That's what we did and it covered the full cost of my birth at an amazing private hospital. I couldn't find a British policy that provided anywhere near the level of cover we got.

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cricket13 · 04/02/2013 12:59

Wow i had no idea, thank you!

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