Not impressed with BUPA

[lgmum2b]

Has anyone got any experience with csections covered by BUPA?

I've been told as I'm 38 weeks on Sunday and as bubs turned breech at 37 weeks I'm likely to be scheduled for a "medically indicated" csection.
Now i realise that BUPA don't cover elective csections but do cover emergency eg once labour has started csections.

We have been trying to get in touch with them for three days now. Each time the initial customer services person says we have to await a call back from the csection team.

I'm already feeling very cross and frustrated because if it was an emergency section scenario three days post the csection I'd be on an NHS ward still awaiting a callback.

So I think they are absolutley no way delivering on their brand promise of reassurance and putting your mind at rest during these stressful healthcare times.
And it appears systemically they've git a loophole in their processes that allows them not cover any csetions when they say they'll only cover emergency ones and yet its taking three days and still we've not had a call back from the csection team. So by this point you'd be discharged.

Has anyone else had any ecperiences with BUPA and whether they treat a medically indicated csection?

I'm having bubs at Queen Charlottes so anyone with experience there I'd be greateful if you could share it.

Many thanks
Lou
x

I've no experience with this situation, but would suggest ringing them up and demanding to speak to a supervisor or someone who can actually help you - and no longer accepting a promise of a call back.

3 days is unacceptable for a query, no matter who you are ringing.

Ahhh I remember trying to find out if I would be covered given previous obstetric history. They said another team dealt with it and they would get in touch. Had to fax over some notes. It took a few days (remember being annoyed about it being a while) and they contacted me to say no. Also, I received conflicting advice re having ERPC covered. One person said no, another said yes. Again, took a few days for them to confirm and I told them off for being so bloody insensitive.

Not sure if you know, but they won't cover the whole 15k cost (only a pitiful amount). There are a few threads on this in childbirth section. I think one MNer went to the ombudsman and got most of it covered.

Call back and ask for the number of the c-sec team. Explain the urgency. If they don't, keep calling back until they get sick of you.

By the way, breech is a reason they would cover it. Have you read your policy in detail?

Oh.. BUPA.. yeah.

I've known from the start I'd need an ELCS, BUPA agreed, all good.

Except no. BUPA will cover the hospital fees at four London hospitals (Queen Charlotte's is one of them I believe, along with the Portland, Lindo Wing at St. Marys and somewhere else I've forgotten). Which is great. And they did seem to be helpful on the phone once we got through to them, eventually.

However, they only cover £500 towards the consultant, claiming that's a typical cost. Consultants don't get out of bed for less than a grand, even their 5 minute outpatient appointments are £200. There is not a single consultant who will charge less than £1500 and you'd be lucky to find that, especially at this late stage. Most charge £2500 or more. They gave me a list of consultants who were apparently cheap. Some no longer existed, and the others charged a small fortune.

Then there are the anaesthetist fees.. they only offer a token amount towards that.

They don't pay for private rooms like the Landsell Suite at St. Thomas' or the Kensington Suite at Chelsea and Westminster - well, they do - they offer you £50/night which goes such a long way against the £800/night or whatever it is.

We gave up at that point. We can't afford several thousand for a consultant and anaesthetist just for the sake of two nights, so NHS it is.

On the bright side, you do get £50 for every night you'll spend in an NHS hospital if you could have been treated privately..!

Good luck - if you do get somewhere with them that is better than what I've described here, I'm anxious to hear it

Well, for future reference and if finances allow it, take out Bupa International cover - you get 15k towards c-sec (doesn't have to be medically needed) and 3k towards ante-natal care. You can claim this even in you are living in the UK and British.

There is a moratorium for 10 mths from when you take out the policy. About 134 quid a month.

Really? Even if you're resident and British? Useful to know, thank you!!

also, just so you know, there is a movement against auto c-sections for breech. a friend of mine had a natural home birth with a breech baby. have a google.

sparklies yes, hard to believe I know but BUPA confirmed that with me last week. That was recently introduced. Also, you can deliver anywhere in the world apart from the US.

Heh yeah.. they'd go bankrupt if people delivered in the US on those prices - I'm guessing it's to stop them being used as a cheap method for delivery there.

Ok update so far.
They have agreed to cover the c section as its medically indicated and bubs is in an extended breech position.
They will only cover £500 of the obstetrician fee which is actually £1300.
And a small part of the anaesthetist fee which I havent yet been told what it is but presuming its going to be about a £400 shortfall.

So thankfully we are going ahead with the procedure as private patients but we'll need to forgo some other planned treats in order to afford it.

I'm feeling a lot more reassured I'll get a better level of surgical and post natal care though so hopefully this will help me feel less anxious.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Hope sharing mine helps some of you.
Lou
x

Have you actually found (and booked with) a consultant that will do it for £1300?? If so who, if you don't mind me asking?

Very interesting thread, lgmum2b, I hope it all goes well for you.

Hello sh77 [waves], I'm in the middle of sorting out my doctors in London. Lower has deferred the case to another Mister in his clinic. I could kick myself for not doing BUPA in the first place.

Sparklies, thanks for sharing. Will be going through the numbers next week when I hit UK soil.

Igmum2b I had my c section covered by Bupa and my twins were delivered by Dr Wimalasundera at Queen Charlotte's 12 weeks ago. The team there are fantastic, midwives so helpful especially with breast feeding support, and the treacle pud is good

My bills were

Anethetist - £450
Dr Wim - £1200 this included 1 pre & 1 post natal visit, the section and visits whilst O was in hospital.
Private ward costs - paedeatricians fee is not covered mine was £247 but it is higher with twins

Bupa paid £1102.00 total and covered 4 nights in hospital. My shortfall was £800 but it was sooooo worth it.

Up breast feeding now

CongratulationsAnd good luck

Hope you get a definitive and positive answer from bupa. Fwiw, DD2 was breech at 36 weeks, head down at 38 weeks, breech at 39 weeks, head down at 40 weeks and breech at 41 weeks. I managed to turn her with acupuncture, floor cleaning, handstands in the pool etc but she was stubborn - still is!

Was delivered by c-section, didn't labour at all but attempting breech delivery here (Singapore) is unheard of and my consultant put in the notes that he refused to attempt to deliver breech. We're not bupa but our med insurance covered 100% of costs.

I had to stay a fifth night in hospital, as one of the girls needed photosensitivity treatment for jaundice, the babies are covered by the NHS but I was offered the choice to pay £533 which is the nightly private charge or move to the NHS ward which was good of them. I stayed in the private ward though.

i'll say it again - you don't have to have a c-section for a breech birth.

snowcake - good you got in touch with Lower's clinic. Private health insurance is worth every penny. Saying that, as you are preg. I am not sure Bupa would have covered Lower anyway as they don't cover preg related issues unless c-sec for emergency. Don't worry that you won't see Lower as I am sure his colleague will be excellent. Do keep us updated.

wart I am guessing OP has already decided and is not looking to be swayed [hmmm]

lavita ta for sharing. I am I correct in thinking BUPA does not cover Chealsea & Westminster consultants and Kensington Wing?

Lavita - if you don't mind me asking, did Bupa cover the hospital costs as well? When I've looked into what a private C-section would cost it tends to add up to about 10-15k including the hospital fee and consultant's bill, so £1102 wouldn't go very far towards that...

Spaklies - It's Prof Bennett at Queen Charlottes x

Ephiny - all costs I only paid £800 & £533 for the 5th night which wasn't included but the majority of people would of been out after 2 or 3 nights.

I didn't receive the private hospital bill it was paid directly by Bupa so I'm not sure how.much it was. They sent me the bill just for the 5th night and paed fee.
I had NHS care and just transferred privately for the birth. My twins were born at 34 weeks and the care was really good.

I'm not sure about other hospitals. I wanted Dr Wim as he is a multiples and fetal medicine specialist. Bupa can give you a list. However I would advise being in a private ward at an NHS hospital so you can transfer if you end up with a longer stay and the babies are covered too. The Portland got example if your baby ended up in special care it is 2k per baby per day!

Thanks, that sounds pretty good actually - the hospital fees are a major part of the cost IIRC so it makes a big difference if they cover those!

Agree about private ward in NHS hospital, that seems like the best of both worlds to me.

lgmum - Wow - he's really good and nice as well! I wish Queen Charlotte's wasn't just that little bit too hard to get to for me, or I'd be sorely tempted. He's also one of the few doctors in the UK to fit transabdominal stitches (like I have) so he would have been perfect - as it is I'm getting the doctor who fitted mine to do my c-section at Chelsea and Westminster on the NHS. So annoying BUPA don't cover C&W :-(

Good luck with it all - you'll be in great hands :)

sparklies what are transabdominal stitches? Is that different to what happens normally? who is your cons at C&W - I am having my c-sec there in about a month.

They're known as "TAC"s for short, or even "bionic cervix" if you see it mentioned. It's basically for women who are unlikely to have a successful pregnancy with a regular vaginal stitch (TVC) - whether it's because they've already had a failed prophylactic TVC, or their cervix is damaged (like mine, when a TVC tore it) or their cervix is crazy short (also like mine - barely 1cm at 13 weeks)

The success rate with a TAC (ignoring non incompetent-cervix issues) is around 95-97% which considering most people who have one would almost certainly lose a baby with a TVC, are incredible odds. It can be fitted before pregnancy (around half are), or at around 11-14 weeks - I had mine at 13 weeks. It is permanent and never comes out, and can be used for subsequent pregnancies.

It can be fitted laparoscopically, but unless the doctor is very skilled, the success rate isn't as high. So usually it is fitted via an incision in the same spot (and size) as a c-section incision under GA or spinal. The stitch itself goes around the very top of the cervix - it's more of a loop of tape than a stitch, and then tied closed. It essentially replaces the cervix entirely. Recovery is the same as with a c-section, except in some cases you are still pregnant!

It doesn't interfere with periods or sperm, and you can still have a D&C up to 12 weeks if you have a first trimester loss. But after that point, as the stitch is permanent, you have to have a classical c-section for early losses/deliveries, or a regular c-section if you get to term.

Not only are the odds much better than with a TVC, but you are also a lot less likely to need bedrest or close monitoring, and you are less likely to get an infection or have waters break due to funnelling. Most doctors even say you can still have sex. Aside from the other screen positive issues and my SPD, this has been a completely normal pregnancy - a total contrast to my rescue TVC I had last time!

Unfortunately many, in fact most, doctors see them as overkill as it's major surgery, and seriously prefer women to lose a couple of babies first to prove it's needed. Ironically it's those same doctors who yell "c-section" at the drop of a hat so I don't get it. Anyway, it took a lot of digging around before I found consultants that would do it in this country - there are only around half a dozen. My consultant at C&W where I had it done is Mr Wales and he is lovely - he immediately agreed even though I had not lost a baby (had come very, very close though with my last pregnancy!) and given how my cervix looked at 13 weeks this time out - 1cm or so and "mushy" - I am very glad I have a TAC.

So that's probably everything and more that you ever wanted to know about TACs

Who are you seeing at C&W?