What is 'Abnormal pregnany / abnormal childbirth'? Health insurance

[jasperc163]

Does anyone know? I just called my husband's health ins as i am apparently covered for this. I am only just pregnant so it was just an enquiry to understand the cover should the need arise - for example I had an amnio with my last pregnancy so think there is a possibility of CVS etc this time around (now nearly 39).

However they were unable to tell me how they would define either of these terms and said it was on a case by case basis. Seems nuts for them not to be able to give you any idea at all what they cover??

Anyone any experience of this?
thanks

[MrsTiddles]

It would be stuff like

breech position
low lying placenta
pre-eclampsia
multiple birth (twins or more)

where your health was more at risk and there was a much higher chance of ceasarian being necessary.

It would then pay for the uplift fee for a cesarian and extra nights in hospital required, things like that. I expect each insurer has a different set of things they will or will not pay for, but this was the case with BUPA when I spoke to them, though I didn't need anything doing, as it were.

When they say case by case - it would mean that the obstretition would need to make the decision that you'd require some emergency care in terms of birth, or, that you needed early hospitalisation if you had something like pre-eclampsia and they wanted to monitor you.

can you ask your midwife or doctor for what they would define as abnormal circs? That could help.

Hope everything goes normally for you though!

[jasperc163]

thanks alot MrsTiddles, really helpful.

So I assume that if you had a high risk nuchal for example then a CVS might be included. But basically you would have to ask at the time.....

[MrsTiddles]

Ah now I'm no expert you'll need to ask.

But I would expect with a high risk nucal scan that you'd be eligible for more frequent scans than the usual 2 or 3

The Fetal Medical Centre in Harley st has an extremely advanced scanning system and a team of experts. They charge quite a lot for their scans, £100+ per go, depending on what stage you're at and what they're looking for.

I had my 20 wk scan there and they could look for all the "official" pointers regarding Downes Syndrome and some of the pointers which are new to science but not "official" (though this was last Summer so they may have become official - things like the tiny bone in the thumb etc)

It may be that the cost of scans such as these could be covered by your insurance.

In any event I imagine you'd need a doctor to refer you and write a letter before you got the ok for charging to your insurance anyway (as per usual).

[MrsTiddles]

sorry I meant to say, they do do CVS there, too.

[jasperc163]

thanks mrs tiddles . yes was planning on going there for nuchal anyway (though atm having major crisis about doing this at all - but thats a whole other story!)