Cost of Delivering a Baby in Perth

30 Comments
We came to Perth on 17th Sept 2011. Jenny was 5 months pregnant then. We didn't have a full pregnancy in Perth so the data is good from the 5th month onward only. Apologies for that.

When we first arrived, we visited Belmont Medical Centre for a consultation. Through the consultation, the GP decided to refer Jen to King Edward Memorial Hospital where the rest of our pregnancy adventures took place. 

I'm so tempted to talk about our excellent experiences at King Edward Memorial Hospital but this is a information post so I will cut the bullshit short and save that for ... another day perhaps?

Belmont Medical Centre:
Consultation: A$65.00
Less: Medicare: A$36.00
Sub Total: A$29.00

KEMH: 
5 consultations: A$0.00 (covered by Medicare)
2 scans: A$0.00 (as above)
Parking: A$2.00 x 5 = A$10.00

Delivery: Inducement + Caesarian : A$0.00 (covered by Medicare)
4 full day parking: 4 x A$7.00 = $28.00 (would be less for natural birth)
Sub Total: A$38.00

Total cost of delivering baby Albany: A$29.00 + $38.00 = $57.00

I may be wrong but we walked out of the hospital without anyone chasing after us for payment. Perhaps a huge payment is coming by post soon. If it does, I'll update this post - provided I didn't die of a heart attack. I doubt so, I had done some reading up remember?

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous22 January 2012 at 00:16

    Is 17 Sep 2011

    Best-est neighbour

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson22 January 2012 at 04:43

      That's not entirely wrong. First sign of brain damage - parenthood.

      Delete
  2. Eric Lim22 January 2012 at 00:52

    wooo so good so cheap? did i see wrong when u type AU$67 ?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous22 January 2012 at 06:32

    No more bills forthcoming mate. That's correct. $67 is probably all that you pay unless you have requested for some Private Specialists. Albany will be very well taken care off by the Government here. Remember, you are in Perth and not $ingapore!

    Friend of mine was admitted for a week in Fremantle Hospital. Guess what? She left without a bill being presented. No NRIC being requested other than her medicare card.

    BTW, I enjoy reading your blog daily. Please continue to write as and when you have to to do so. I like your photos too.

    Rifleman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson22 January 2012 at 12:46

      I'm glad to hear that! Can't do with a unpleasant shock at the moment. Thanks for reading the blog. i'm happy it provided value to you in some way.

      Delete
    2. Angela47819 January 2013 at 23:36

      It happened to me too .. juz show the medicare card.. and no bill. SO HAPPY!

      Delete
  4. DEbBy22 January 2012 at 14:28

    Yes, no worries, no bills if you choose to be a public patient in a public hospital. Medicare covers everything, even if complications arise.

    If you choose to be a private patient (through private health cover) different story!!!! Think you get more luxury, and maybe a 2-3 night stay at a hotel and a private recovery room. But who needs it?!!

    ha ha the Australian public health system is awesome!! Kids under 16 are covered so well.

    Glad you are out from hospital!! I personally could not wait to get home to sleep in my bed!! All the best for sleepless nights ahead - hope Albany sleeps through!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson23 January 2012 at 10:46

      Yeah, we rather discharge than stay longer though to be honest, the ward is quite comfortable even for a public patient. The service was above my expectations as well.

      i'm glad to hear i wun be receiving a bill. it's a great relief and i felt obliged to contribution back to the country..

      Delete
  5. Alvin22 January 2012 at 17:22

    No worries mate....That's all that will cost you.

    Last year I was also pleasantly surprised when my wife didn't have to pay for disposable contact lenses.Didn't realized that it was also covered by Medicare.

    Congratulations again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson23 January 2012 at 10:44

      Can you tell me more about the procedure? Did your wife go straight to hospital or something?

      Delete
    2. Alvin23 January 2012 at 11:31

      No, my wife just went to OPSM(they are everywhere in most shopping mall)
      Any optometrist will bulk bill eye test. In other words all the eye tests are free for everyone with a medicare card. With the prescription, they will advise you on specs or contact lenses. I know specs are covered by private health fund but I was just as surprised when OPSM(retailer)gave her the disposable lenses and didn't ask for payment and told her it was covered by Medicare. So I check my Medicare record, and true enough, it was covered.
      I am not sure if it is due to the high degree or it is for any prescription. Check it out at any OPSM.

      Delete
  6. Lionel Liew22 January 2012 at 19:56

    wa...so much cheaper in Australia. I can consider if my future wife gonna give birth, I will bring her to Aust to give birth. The budget airline ticket cost lower than the cost of giving birth in SG, so definitely worth it. haha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson23 January 2012 at 10:43

      Hi Lionel,

      The key to this is Medicare. If you have a medicare card, you get subsidised, otherwise you have to pay the full price which I suspect might be as much or more expensive than Singapore because of their much better service overall.

      Delete
    2. Alvin23 January 2012 at 11:37

      Yes, medicare is for citizen and PR only. Even TR does not get medicare.

      Delete
    3. Lionel Liew24 January 2012 at 11:15

      i see. ;)

      Delete
  7. Anonymous23 January 2012 at 00:28

    next to come, baby bonus and FTB supplement if you have applied to the centrelink

    -trinoo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson23 January 2012 at 10:41

      Hi Trinoo, I'm surprised to see your comment but I know where you are from :)
      I'm trying to register the baby and fill up that form they gave us. It's quite lengthy.

      Might write about it if we receive anything.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous23 January 2012 at 07:06

    Congrats to you and your wife once again :)

    One thing that confused me though: Delivery: Inducement + Caesarian : A$0.00 (covered by Medicare)
    4 full day parking: 4 x A$7.00 = $28.00 (would be less for natural birth)
    Sub Total: A$38.00

    How come sub total was $10 more??

    ~ SydneyLibrarian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson23 January 2012 at 10:39

      Hi SL, That's because I need to add another $10 incurred from previous consultations. The sub total was for the entire KEMH bill.

      Delete
  9. A Life Un-Styled23 January 2012 at 11:40

    This is good to know. I live in Canberra and we're planning on starting a family soon, so thanks for the heads up!

    PS I loved reading your "why am I here?" page. So beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson24 January 2012 at 01:34

      Hi Vanisha, you must be the first person I know from Fuji and probably the first PHD as well. I wish you all the best in starting a family.

      Delete
    2. A Life Un-Styled24 January 2012 at 06:04

      Thank you :) I'm actually from Fiji :)

      Delete
  10. Anonymous24 January 2012 at 12:27

    WHAT?!?!?!?

    the only thing u needed to pay was the initial consultation and the parking fees...

    WOW!!! SG really sucks big time...
    nth compared to aussie... =__=

    -Julia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. asingaporeanson25 January 2012 at 03:57

      I cannot accept anyone citing Australia's natural resources as the reason for this. SG has different priorities, that's al. Not that we can't afford to do this.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous19 April 2012 at 15:25

    Just came across this post as I was reading the rest of your blog. I'm due in July and after calculation, I'm expected to pay some S$2-3k cash, after deducting from medisave (can claim up to total S$2.1k max). I have almost S$40k in medisave, and I cannot use it to pay for delivery. KNS!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Moi3 November 2012 at 04:23

    My friend has 3 kids. Don't know about his most recent one but his second one cost him 10K.

    And you ask why we have low birthrates.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sharon Chew's blog12 November 2013 at 12:58

    Hi, I wonder if I can email you some questions regarding this topic? My hubby, son and I are Australian PRs but we haven't gone over yet because of our commitments here in Singapore. We just found out that I'm preggers, and so we are in a quandary about where we should give birth. :(

    ReplyDelete
  14. benjamin6 October 2016 at 17:07

    So how much taxes do u pay? or does the average working Australian pay?

    surely the subsidies have to come from somewhere?

    ReplyDelete