Maternity Package or Pay as you go

Hi Nimonemo I am due to deliver a baby in 1 week. I lost my job 2 months ago when my doctor told me I might be having a premature baby. Along with my job loss, I also lost my maternity cover (husband's insurance doesn't cover medical). Anyway we have just paid AED 27,000 and gone with ADNIC. Do a search on ADNIC (Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company). There are threads on it recently from chats I've had with other Mums who have purchased the package. They have an office on SZR. ADNIC, although more expensive, are the only insurer in the UAE that covers women who are already pregnant (no waiting period). They cover 100% of your maternity costs as well as baby costs, as long as you are still in hospital as well. Once you leave hospital, you will need to pay for baby costs but once you join baby up to ADNIC once born, they will reimburse the costs. ADNIC cover absolutely everything along as you use one of their network hospitals (they have most Dubai hospitals on their network - Medcare, American, City etc). Only thing they don't cover is cost of epidural for natural birth - approx 2,000. As mentioned, do a search on ADNIC and you will get recent threads with heaps of info. P.S. I purchased my insurance with ADNIC at 34 weeks, they accept you right up until delivery basically. They will also cover all consultations with your doctor in the lead up to the delivery. Hope this helps and good luck.

I changed hospitals and had to pay for all the tests again, they wouldn't accept the previous tests done at the other hospital. It might be the same with UK/Dubai you will end up paying twice. edited by SuzieMom on 07/09/2011 How can a hospital not to accept a test made in other hospital? I am astonished, that is unacceptable!

I changed hospitals and had to pay for all the tests again, they wouldn't accept the previous tests done at the other hospital. It might be the same with UK/Dubai you will end up paying twice. <em>edited by SuzieMom on 07/09/2011</em>

At Medcare, each visit was about AED 600 including the ultrasound without a package. You can get packages from 12 weeks or 20 weeks I think. The one from 12 weeks was AED 4,500 and included major scans and blood work (and the glucose test I believe). That was a couple of years ago though. At the City, a consultation was AED 500 and scan at appt was AED 250. Not sure of major scan prices as I had those at the Fetal Medicine Centre. Bloodwork at City was AED 1,900. I think a package was about AED 6,000 and I believe the major scans were an additional cost. Not sure as I never took the package out and switched to the American after my doctor left City. At the Fetal Medicine Centre, the 12 week scan was AED 1,550. 20 week scan was AED 950. At the American a consultation with Dr. Raj was AED 500 (not sure of u/s cost as I didn't have any at my appts but would imagine they are around AED 250) and this included urine testing. The 32 week scan was AED 850 (and the sonographer was lovely, really helpful and explained everything in detail). Not sure of the glucose test cost as I didn't bother for my second pregnancy as they don't do it in UK unless you are high risk. At the American, a couple of the doctors' packages don't include the major scans, I remember seeing a sign at the cash desk relating to this - not sure which doctor/s this referred to though. So it depends on how many visits you think you'll make and whether or not the packages include the major scans, some do some don't. Any additional visits outside of the prescribed ones in the package will be chargeable. I had some bleeding in my first pregnancy and the emergency visit was extra as I couldn't get an appt with my ob/gyn. Hope that helps. Probably best to get a package as all other visits and scans do add up!! I just didn't want one for the second pregnancy as I just didn't want that many visits. I'm glad I didn't in the end, given that my doctor left the City and they didn't even bother to tell me she was leaving. Luckily I found out by chance just before I signed up for the package as I couldn't get an appt with another doctor there and that's why I moved to American and was glad I did as I much preferred it. But as I said, everyone is different and you need to do what you feel the most comfortable with. I recommend the American Hospital and Dr Raj. The ante natal appts were stress free and the admin side very organised and it never felt busy. The birth there was great too, all the staff were fab. I felt the City was just too busy and I struggled to get appts. Medcare - admin side was a nightmare, hospital very busy and appts so so rushed it was unbelievable. But everyone has different experiences.

I have a confirmation from American Hospital that the 3 major scans are included in the package that costs around AED5,800. I;m going for it as it is my first pregnancy and I am on my own here.

I'm on insurance for American but still have to sign the receipts and had 3 scans 12 20 and 32 weeks no more than 900 Dhs for each one. Also I've had two pregnancies in Dubai and never gone to see my doctor more than once a month until near the end I saw her two weeks apart. Only had one lot of bloods done then u can have the diabetes tests and urine sample s at all appointments, plus the scans as above. To see my doctor at American costs less then 400 Dhs for general appointment, just extra for those tests. <em>edited by fairycakeyumm on 06/09/2011</em>

Just check what the package actually covers. A lot of packages don't include the 12 and 20 weeks scans anyway, so if that's all you want then it may be better to just pay for those separately and not bother with the package. I did for DS and felt I was constantly at the Medcare and didn't find all the appts and scans necessary. I didn't bother with package for DD and enjoyed my pregnancy more as I wasn't constantly at the hospital. However, this won't suit everyone. Medcare packages used to cover the 2 big scans as well. Not sure if they still do as haven't been there for 2 years. American and City - packages tend not to include those scans although this may depend on the doctor as the package for each doctor may be slightly different. For DS I was initially at City and had 12 and 20 week scans at the Fetal Medicine Clinic as there were no appts with sonographer at City. These were quite expensive if I remember rightly although together were cheaper than the maternity package at Medcare that included both those scans.