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Choices - where to go?

  1. #1
    Panda2010 is offline Registered User
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    Choices - where to go?

    Hi All

    I have just found out that im 6 weeks pregnant so early stages. But I have also just found out that we have low insurance coverage. We only have HK$40,000 in total. So I cant really go for an obstetrician and a private hospital. What would you do??

    Can anyone recommend a good but reasonably priced doctor?

    Has anyone delivered in a public hospital or should I avoid that at all costs?

    I was thinking of trying to split the coverage 50/50 with obs fees and hospital fees. Is that realistic?

    Thanks for all your advice - im currently in panic mode and have images of delivering on the side of the road!!


  2. #2
    Panda2010 is offline Registered User
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    Or I suppose my question is

    How do you give birth cheaply in HK??


  3. #3
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    Congratulations! Have a read through this article, it should answer most of your questions.

    http://www.geobaby.com/articles/preg...-in-hong-kong/

    You have 2 options.

    You maybe able to deliver in a Private hospital, you just need to select a shared room or what they call a ward. They're normally shared among 4 or more people.
    Have a look at the rates here:
    Private Hospital Maternity Packages

    This doesn't include Drs fees, so you need to negotiate with yr Dr. Their fees are based on the type of room you select. Also factor in the cost for an epidural, anesthesiologist and pediatrician.

    Second option is go half/half, which is discussed in the article.

    Good luck!


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    starbucks2 is offline Registered User
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    As a guide to costs in the private world, I just delivered my second baby 2 weeks ago. I would say that the private obstetrician visits throughout my pregnancy were about $25K. My delivery for a twin room at Matilda - 3 days natural delivery with epidural was $90K. You may be able to go to a private doctor for half of your obs visits throughout your pregnancy and go public for the rest and may still have enough left to pay for a 4 person room in a private hospital for the delivery but I think that this would be unlikely. Your best bet may be to go private for all obs visits and then deliver at a public hospital. Of the $90K for my delivery bill, $38K was my obs fee, $10K for the epidural and $32K for the hospital charges. Pediatrician fees were on top of that (but they also should come out of the baby's insurance on the assumption that they will be covered under your insurance from birth).

    What you also need to bear in mind is if there are complications eg: an emergency c-section as this will push your bill up substantially. A friend had a $250K bill for her c-section delivery plus complications at a private hospital. Having said this, it might be worth checking your insurance as some policies will include any "complications from childbirth" as part of the general surgical allowance and therefore won't be limited to the $40K of your maternity cover.

    If you decide to go private for your obs visits and then public for the delivery you will also need to check that your preferred obstetrician will take you on when you are delivering at public. My doctor recently charged her policy so that they will not take on patients who are delivering at public hospitals. Others still do.

    Good luck. By all accounts the public hospitals are well staffed and have expertise although they do not have the luxuries of the private hospitals (but have a price tag to match).

    SB2


  5. #5
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    MANY of us have given birth in public hospitals, some of us more than once. (i did it twice.)

    although not luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, the medical care is second to none.

    i was hospitalised 13 times over two very complicated pregnancies. total amount of time in the hospital: roughly 2.5-3 months (out of 16 months of pregnancy).
    TOTAL cost: no more than $4000... not each... TOTAL.

    if you go in not expecting luxury and ask for a few pointers on this board, you'll be fine in a public hospital.

    why you would think that it is "to be avoided at all costs", i don't know. i do know that i would rather have $100,000 in my pocket than spend it on a 4 day hospital stay. (we dont' have insurance, so it would have come out of my pocket.)


  6. #6
    yuukalim0404 is offline Registered User
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    I totally agree with Cara, I had my delivery at a public hospital with epidural,then turned out to be an emergency C-section and yes it cost me under 5k for everything. No luxuries, but definitely safe and worth it since I don't have any insurance.

    In other case if you don't know, if anyone do need emergency c-section in a private hospital, they will transfer to the public hospital anyway as they don't have the facilities I heard. I remembered when the doc said I needed emergency c-sect, I was immediately wisked off to their op room and baby was out in 15mins, definitely cannot imagine the danger and further pain I would have endured if I needed to be transported from one hospital to another!


  7. #7
    carang's Avatar
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    pamela youde nethersole in chai wan (for island east)
    queen mary in pok fu lam (for island west)

    which one you use would depend on where you live.


    but to clarify, private hospitals are ok for emergency c-sections. they are not prepared with a NICU in case there is a problem with the baby. the baby would have to be taken to Queen Mary Hospital if there were any serious complications.


  8. #8
    carang's Avatar
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    also.... if i had full insurance cover, i would definitely go private (hotel matilda all the way... oops! that should have read hospital matilda).

    for us, it just wasn't in the cards. i can pay for a lot of schoolling, trips to canada to meet the family for what i would have paid for the hospital if i'd gone private.


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