Private healthcare that covers c sections? Is this something special??

[TheBlonde]

I've seen on various threads folk saying that their health insurance covers them for a medically-necessary c section
Thus enabling them to plan a private c section

I'm just curious as to which health companies cover this?

BUPA is covering mine, but not that it only covers x amout of the delivery fee, x amount of the anaethetists fee, and 5 nights in a private hospital. It doesn't cover the private antenatal care which you need to access a private hospital, nor any costs associated with your baby once born. My policy is through work and my baby is added automatically on birth so his/her costs will be covered.

I am anticipating I will have to pay between £7.5-£10k myself.

x

Spudaballoo - do you know what level of bupa your employer provides?
We have "premier" (which I know is the minimum level) and I don't think covers this

7.5K????!!! WTF?!!!

I had Bupa care through DH's work. I had my ds by planned caesarean for 'medical reasons' in an NHS hospital but had the consultant do the op and the consultant anesthetist too. I had my own room. All my ante natal care was done through the NHS and I only had one post natal appointment which Bupa covered. I didn't pay a penny.

I think BUPA cover the c.s etc...in an NHS hospital...they won;t pay for a private hospital and the care you get there......

when i had DS by emergency c.s (NHS hospital) BUPA did not cover the £75 cost of a private room for me as it was classed as a cash benefit and we didn;t have cover for that apparently...although they said we did at the time!!

you need to call BUPA and get exactly what they will pay for IN WRITING before you commit

by friend had an elective c.s in St John & LIzzies......paid herself...little change out of £8 000..her BUPA didn;t cover it!

BUPA don;t seem to cover very much to do with childbirth....best thing is to give them a call.....

I'm going to the Portland which you can only access through private antenatal care which BUPA don't cover, and I doubt any medical insurer do unless you're an expat in which case insurence seems to cover everything!

I'm happy to pay whatever it costs to be honest, because of various problems I've had. I know I could have had NHS antental care, and then gone for private for the birth at an NHS/private wing. But I don't feel very comfortable doing that, that's just my personal preference. I'm not interested in a debate on private v NHS, my personal view is that if you're going private...then you're going private rather than going private for bits of it and using NHS resources for others.

I cant' remember the level of cover's name, but I know it's the top level one. They've all got fancy names though!

xx

i think it is personal choice Spud...and if you want to spend the money ensuring you will get the best birth possible....go for it! people can easily spend a similar amount on a fancy holiday....this is your child's birth...if you know that it is important to you ...go for it!

there are no private options in the north.....luckily, i was high risk and saw my obs 8 or so times , without having to fight to see him on the NHS..whereas plenty of women i know have never seen their obs!

hope all goes well.......xxx

This would be this International Level cover. Costs upwards of £2k per year though and there is normally a 10 month period before you can claim any pregnancy costs. Also look at Allianz International Cover.

I had my first child at the Portland 5 years ago and it was covered by my insurance. Was planning to have the baby there anyway, so had already paid for pre-natal care as I went along. 2-3 weeks before birth it was agreed that I needed a c-section for medical reasons and so I contacted my insurers. My insurance did cover it and basically I paid nothing from that moment on.

All I know is that my cover from work (PPP) is long standing and I understand that it is quite rare to still have c-section cover as we do. I am not expat or international or similar and the same provisions are available for anyone in my firm with the same cover. I think the point is that my firm has negotiated a good deal in relation to the policy it has, basically. I know it is reviewed every year.

Two things of note. Firstly, the insurers were extremely snotty about it and it took quite a lot of "discussion" to get them even to send me a claim form (WTF?) They were basically unwilling to tell me in advance that they would pay out, and would only agree that I fell within the type of category that they do pay out in relation to - so if I had not already been prepared to pay, I think I would have been very nervous going for the private option without it being clear. I only got clarification that they would pay after they had seen the medical notes relating to the birth itself.

I had a second child 2 years later and a c-section for the same medical reasons. Although I still had the same cover they refused to pay out, arguing (in the face of the clear recommendation of my consultant) that the only reason I was having a 2nd c-section was because I had a first c-section and they would not pay out for that. I know I really should have contested it, but at the time really did not have the energy for a fight.

So it is possible to do this, but not for the faint-hearted is my experience.

I had a c-section that was paid for by private insurance. I was told it would not be covered a second time because it was considered a "pre-existing" condition. They also refused cover for any pregnancy or related conditions that came as a result of fertility treatments.

Ah, yes, my refusal for my 2nd was the "pre-existing condition" argument as well (the likelihood of giving birth to babies with humungous heads being the pre-existing condition!)