city hospital maternity packages not covered by insurance | ExpatWoman.com
 

city hospital maternity packages not covered by insurance

230
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 16:34

soo how much would it be if you were to get all that stuff without the package? anyone have any idea? i've heard so much good stuff about city hospital but their packages aren't covered by insurance. is that normal? for the maternity packages not to be covered?

our insurance has all the other hospitals covered except american...of course. a i've read all the previous posts about the hospitals and the general consensus is american, city are the best and then...al wasl? medcare? zulekha? i went to zulekha for my initial appts without the insurance but i just found out that they dont allow husbands in the delivery room and that's important for both of us.

nyone have any opinions or suggestions?...of where i should go?? lol at this point i'm leaning towards medcare because they allow husbands in there.

1381
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 27 April 2011 - 21:44
last friday i also got a shock. apparently maternity is covered with my insurance company. i had been having scans and blood tests at the dubai mall medical centre. i was scheduled for d&c on saturday and my insurance refused for city hospital as they were charging 6000 AED and the people at dubai mall exhausted all my limit in just scans and tests!! i didn't even knew, won't go there again. although after reading all the posts here i think i should have a chat with our agent coz this all has made me confused. i want to be prepared for the next time. and all this happened when i was just 9 weeks preggers.
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 April 2011 - 19:47
Hi na115 - I'm not sure of the cost as they've never shown me a bill. Prior to getting maternity insurance, I was paying for consultations out of my own pocket and the fee varied depending on the length of the consultation, whether or not a scan was involved and whether or not I was asked to provide a urine or blood sample. Early on in my pregnancy I was seeing the lovely Dr Anna at Dubai London Clinic and my visits were charged at between 700 - 1800 dirhams. Visits were once a month. I agree with DubaiCat, visits should be monthly and then fortnightly from 32 weeks and weekly from 36 weeks so long as you have a normal pregnancy. You may need more visits if you have complications. As for insurance, does your insurance provide maternity cover? Silly question perhaps but not all insurance companies provide maternity, maybe that's why the hospital is saying you are not covered?
2937
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 27 April 2011 - 18:23
I think from 25 weeks I had one appointment a month, the GTT at 28 weeks (but I had insulin resistance prior to pregnancy so I was higher risk), a growth scan at 32 weeks (not routine, because of the insulin issue), then one appointment every two weeks after 32 weeks. From 34 weeks I think I saw the doctor more than I saw DH! But I had pre-eclampsia so it was over and above routine appointments. For a normal, low-risk pregnancy I don't see why you'd need appointments any more often than monthly, then every two weeks as you get closer. Why not have a chat with a doctor at City and see what they recommend? I did that at my last visit as I don't want to go chasing all the way over to City for every little check-up, so I'm going to my local clinic along the way with trips to City when I really need to. Dr Elsa gave me a plan of what to do and when and it's really not much, even with my previous history. ETA: And do get the hospital to double-check you don't have a limit for ante-natal and then another limit for delivery, as my friend discovered. And I just have to add, when I was typing my post the other day I kept thinking 'pre-natal' was wrong but I couldn't for the life of me think of what it should be. 'Ante-natal', of course! Baby brain :D. <em>edited by DubaiCat on 27/04/2011</em>
230
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 April 2011 - 16:16
kitty, thanks, i'll keep those tips in mind. it's not that my insurance is saying the packages aren't covered, city hospital is saying it themselves. although my insurance is in their network. yasmine and m, how much is it costing to do the appointments on your own? and for anyone else who has done it...if i was to go appt by appt in the next 15 weeks, what would you recommend? what tests? how many visits? i have only gone twice so far to zulekha for basic check ups with no labs or testing done because we were waiting for the insurance coverage to start.
230
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 April 2011 - 16:15
it's not that my insurance is saying the packages aren't covered, city hospital is saying it themselves. although my insurance is in their network. yasmine and m, how much is it costing to do the appointments on your own? and for anyone...if i was to go appt by appt in the next 15 weeks, what would you recommend? what tests? how many visits? i have only gone twice so far to zulekha for basic check ups with no labs or testing done because we were waiting for the insurance coverage to start.
332
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 26 April 2011 - 20:02
I'm seeing a Dr at City Hospital and am 32 weeks along. At no stage have I been asked to enter into any packages, I just simply showed my insurance card on my initial visit. However, I only commenced appointments at City from week 26 onwards, prior to this I was seeing my gyno at a clinic. I also checked with the insurance company, ADNIC, to make sure everything is covered, and they stressed to me that every aspect of my maternity, delivery and new born care would be covered provided I attended a hospital within the network. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that I don't get any nasty shocks like some of the other ladies on this thread ...
123
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 April 2011 - 10:01
Apparently insurance never covers the maternity packages. When I was at City Hospital one doctor kept insisting and insisting I take a package, than I discovered our insurance would only cover us if we took separate appointments and she still insisted I should do it. Commission maybe? No idea, but in any case if I was to do it all over again I would skip a lot of appointments and tests for sure. Once you hit 36 weeks and you dont have any complications during pregnancy I think every 2 weeks should do. I paid myself silly on all kinds of tests and in stead of reassuring me I had a nightmare of a pregnancy thanks to a certain midwife at FMC who convinced me I had a child with Down syndrome after our blood test and than they wanted to do invasive testing on top of that for an additional 5000aed. I really think that most of the appointments are just for our reassurance, certainly for us first time moms..
1861
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 19:55
Go through the package items with a fine tooth comb and see if there are any tests or scans you don't need, if you really want City for delivery. In the UK the 28-week GTT is only done for those considered high-risk for diabetes, for example, so you might not need that done if it's on the list. I can't remember offhand what was on there, sorry! 1 I agree - the main things in the UK are - 12 weeks NT scan, 1st apt - 16 weeks Triple Test (blood test) - 20 weeks anomaly scan - apts generally every 4-6 weeks from 12 weeks onwards, with apts every 2 weeks from 36 weeks. No ultrasounds apart from the ones mentioned above, unless there are complications. At every apt, they do your urine, blood pressure, check heart-beat with a Doppler and check fundal height with a palpation.
2937
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 19:27
DH thinks our bill for delivery was 17 or 18k all in. I had a natural delivery - induced - with epidural, episiotomy and Ventouse, and we stayed an extra night because DS had jaundice. I had a fair few extra pre-natal appointments because I had pre-eclampsia, so I have no clue how much all of those would have come to. If you went to another clinic for major scans, would your insurance cover that separately to maternity care at City? You could go to FMC for these if they would. Go through the package items with a fine tooth comb and see if there are any tests or scans you don't need, if you really want City for delivery. In the UK the 28-week GTT is only done for those considered high-risk for diabetes, for example, so you might not need that done if it's on the list. I can't remember offhand what was on there, sorry! I'd say if you are low-risk and already 25 weeks then 20k should just about cover you until the end of your pregnancy and for your delivery. You could always ask the hospital to keep checking with your insurance company so you'll know when you're nearing your limit. ETA: A friend of mine who also delivered at City thought she had a limit of around 17k in total, and she used most of that up with appointments and scans. Then she decided to get the hospital to double-check if she was covered for delivery separately and she was - it'd probably be worth asking again! Fingers crossed for you. <em>edited by DubaiCat on 25/04/2011</em>
1618
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 17:53
My insurance also won't cover the packages at the hospitals but covers each appointment individually with direct billing just like a normal doctors visit. The limit for delivery is 17500AED this is additional to the prenatal care.
230
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 17:02
It covers both...prenatal and delivery...from what I was told. Its Oman Insurance. I'm 25 weeks and I was looking at the packages that start at 28 weeks. This is the medcare one: http://www.medcarehospital.com/packages/antenatal I guess it would be all those tests and check ups to be covered individually. Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it! edited by na115 on 25/04/2011 <em>edited by na115 on 25/04/2011</em>
2937
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 16:54
Do you know if that cap covers everything, or just prenatal or just delivery? It'll depend on how many appointments you need and what scans you have. Have to chase DS, will post more later!
230
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 16:51
Does your insurance cover maternity without the package? Mine wouldn't pay for a package but covered everything individually. yeah they do, there's a 20,000 cap but they will cover it. how much would it all cost without getting the package tho?
2937
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 16:49
Does your insurance cover maternity without the package? Mine wouldn't pay for a package but covered everything individually.
 
 

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