Waiting periods

Waiting periods

Pregnancy & birth

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When you can claim on your Hospital cover

If you've been on your chosen baby-related Hospital cover for at least 9 months, you can skip this section and jump ahead to Hospitals.

If not, read on to learn about the waiting period situation. Using Pregnancy and birth as an example, waiting periods apply to people who:

  • Get Hospital cover for the first time (or after letting their Hospital cover lapse)
  • Upgrade to cover that includes Pregnancy and birth (from Hospital cover that didn’t)
  • Upgrade to a higher level of cover for Pregnancy and birth (e.g. from 'restricted' to 'covered').

Here, we also discuss waiting periods for Assisted reproductive services and Miscarriage & termination, as we figure it’s important to share this info upfront.

 

Pregnancy and birth


The waiting period for Pregnancy and birth is 9 months. That means:

  • If you just got Hospital cover you won’t be able to claim for any pregnancy-related hospital admissions until the 9 months is up
  • If you upgrade to a higher level of cover – you won’t be able to claim your new higher level of benefits for 9 months.

    In other words, for 9 months after upgrading:

    • From 'not covered' to 'restricted', you won’t be able to claim at all
    • From 'restricted' to 'covered', you’ll only be able to claim on your previous (restricted) level of cover.

Given how stressful even minor pregnancy complications can be, you can see why we strongly recommend getting onto your preferred Hospital cover well before you start trying for a baby.

When the waiting period is over

You’ll be covered for the birth of your baby and any hospital admissions for pregnancy-related conditions like:

  • Severe morning sickness
  • High blood pressure
  • Placenta previa (a common condition when the placenta covers the cervix)
  • Uncontrolled gestational diabetes
  • Iron infusions.

Assisted reproductive services


The waiting period for fertility procedures (e.g. IVF) is either 2 months, or 12 months for members with pre-existing conditions*.

 

Miscarriage & termination


Miscarriage, or having to terminate a pregnancy, can be highly distressing. While health insurance is the focus here, we’ve included links to medical information and support services at the bottom of the page.

In terms of Hospital cover, Miscarriage & termination of pregnancy is:

There’s a 2-month waiting period, and as we explain in Hospital cover, you can only claim towards inpatient treatment.

Please note that Miscarriage & termination of pregnancy is:

Pregnancy loss support

Trusted sources of information and support include: