Which health insurance is best for pregnancy?

There's no single "best" policy. It's important you find enough cover for you at a price that's affordable. Bupa's Gold Hospital plan, a recent Finder Award winner for Best Health Insurance , may be a good place to start your search. In terms of pricing, we found HBF Gold Hospital and Medibank Gold Complete Hospital to be very competitive. Make sure you look into the finer detail of what's offered by each policy. Pay attention to any benefit exclusions or restrictions.

What is the waiting period for pregnancy health insurance?

The typical waiting period for pregnancy health cover is 12 months. You'd need to take out a policy – or upgrade your current insurance – at least 3 months before trying to get pregnant. In general your waiting period must end either before, or on, your admission date to a private hospital.

Can my partner stay with me overnight in hospital after the birth?

It depends on whether you go private or public. Typically, private hospitals will let you and your partner be in your own room together and stay a certain number of nights. In the public system, many hospitals don't allow partners to stay overnight, particularly in shared rooms or wards.

What does health insurance cover for pregnancy?

Health insurance plans vary a lot, but if you take out a top level of hospital and extras cover your benefits can include: Accommodation and care at a private hospital Assisted reproductive services Some hospital-administered medicines Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Antenatal/postnatal classes Remedial massages Physiotherapy maternity support clothing Diet and nutrition appointments TENS machines – purchase or hire Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) membership

Is pregnancy considered a pre-existing condition for health insurance?

No, pregnancy is not considered a pre-existing condition for health insurance.

Should I get couples coverage that includes pregnancy?

If you hold 2 single policies, you might be better off bolstering 1 of these to cover the pregnancy services for the child bearer. Otherwise, you may be paying unnecessarily for 2 people to be covered for pregnancy.

Should I get family coverage after my child is born?

If you want to move to a family health insurance plan to cover your baby, you'll want to check that your baby is covered from birth. You don't always have to do this before you give birth. For example, Medibank confirmed to Finder that under its Gold Hospital Cover, you have 60 days after the baby is born to add the baby to a family policy . Each health insurance brand will have different rules, though. So be sure to check directly if you have any doubt about the time period you will or won't be covered for.

What percentage of first-time mothers choose the public system?

Finder research has found that 70% of first-time mothers chose the public hospital system for pregnancy and delivery. The reason most first-time mums go public comes down to cost – childbirth in a public hospital is free, whereas a standard private delivery can cost around $9,000-$10,000. When you're researching your options, you may want to start by looking into the quality of the public hospital system you're in the catchment for and where you'd birth. Speak to others who have been through the process, including friends, as well as discussions in online forums such as mothers' groups on Facebook.

How much do C-sections cost in Australia?

A c-section may cost $11,476, according to Bupa's surgery cost calculator. Bupa estimates an average out of pocket cost of $339. These figures are for an elective (non-emergency) caesarean section. If you have a C-section in a public hospital as a public patient, you'll be fully covered by Medicare and will not have to pay any fees.

Is private health insurance worth it for pregnancy?

Private health insurance can be worth it for pregnancy as you gain access to a number of benefits if you want to deliver in a private hospital . It means you can select your doctor and have continuity of care with the same medical team throughout your entire pregnancy, and you have access to private hospital rooms and a minimum 3-4 night stay in hospital. In a public hospital, you will usually share a room with other patients after delivery, and you will usually see a range of health care professionals throughout your pregnancy, rather than the same doctor each visit. Even with private hospital cover, you will usually be out of pocket several thousand dollars.

What type of insurance should I get if I am planning to get pregnant?

A Gold-level policy is recommended for pregnancy-related cover. You generally need to clear the waiting period (typically 12 months) to get access to pregnancy cover. Assuming pregnancy of 9 months, you'll need to take out this cover at least 3-4 months before you plan to get pregnant .

When should you take out health insurance for pregnancy?

It is best to get health insurance at least 3-4 months before conceiving, as this allows for the 12-month waiting period to be met by the time you deliver the baby .

Can I get private health insurance if I'm already pregnant?

Most policies have a 12-month waiting period , which means you need to take out cover at least 3-4 months before conceiving to ensure the waiting period is met by the date of delivery. Once you are pregnant, it's usually too late to take out cover as you won't meet the waiting period.

Pregnancy & health insurance: everything you need to know

Who’s this health cover for?

The average cost of hospital cover for childbirth is around $67 per week*.
You will need to hold cover for at least 12 months before your hospital admission date.
If you are already pregnant without private hospital cover, getting it today will not do you much good.

*Prices are based on a single person earning less than $101,000 living in Sydney.

Compare hospital cover for pregnancy and child birth

Here are some pregnancy health insurance policies from Finder partners that cover pregnancy. All have a 12-month waiting period before you can claim. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $101,000 income and living in Sydney.

10 of 88

Name	Treatments	Price
Gold Hospital Elevate $750/$1500 Excess Gold$750 excess	Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth Sleep studies Weight loss surgery Rehabilitation Insulin pumps +30 other treatments covered	$295.56 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
Medibank Gold Protect Gold$750 excess	Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth Sleep studies Weight loss surgery Rehabilitation Insulin pumps +30 other treatments covered Want up to 6 weeks free and up to $400 in gift cards when you join and maintain eligible Hospital cover? New members only. T&Cs apply. Excludes Basic covers.	$267.60 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
Frank Gold Hospital Gold$750 excess	Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth Sleep studies Weight loss surgery Rehabilitation Insulin pumps +30 other treatments covered	$286.27 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
Medibank Gold Protect Gold$500 excess	Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth Sleep studies Weight loss surgery Rehabilitation Insulin pumps +30 other treatments covered Want up to 6 weeks free and up to $400 in gift cards when you join and maintain eligible Hospital cover? New members only. T&Cs apply. Excludes Basic covers.	$287.74 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
GMHBA Gold Optimum $750 Gold$750 excess	Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth Sleep studies Weight loss surgery Rehabilitation Insulin pumps +30 other treatments covered	$289.18 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
Medibank Gold Protect + Essential Extras 60 Gold$750 excess	Hospital Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +34 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +3 other treatments covered	$291.98 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
Medibank Gold Protect + Healthy Start Extras Gold$750 excess	Hospital Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +34 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +7 other treatments covered	$295.54 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
Medibank Gold Protect + Essential Extras 75 Gold$750 excess	Hospital Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +34 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +4 other treatments covered	$310.68 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
GMHBA Gold Optimum $750 + GMHBA Basic Extras Set Benefits Gold$750 excess	Hospital Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +34 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +2 other treatments covered Get up to 10 weeks free, plus no 2 & 6 month waits on extras when you join on combined cover by 15 July. For new members only. T&Cs apply. Current offer Get up to 10 weeks free, plus no 2 & 6 month waits on extras when you join on combined cover by 15 July. For new members only. T&Cs apply.	$311.59 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...
Medibank Gold Protect + Essential Extras 60 Gold$500 excess	Hospital Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +34 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +4 other treatments covered	$312.12 per month	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading Fetching your data...

Showing 10 of 88 results

Our pick for best health insurance for pregnancy

Medibank Gold Protect + Growing Family 70

From

$85.19

/week

Hospital and Extras

From

$85.19

/week

Go to site

Read our Medibank Private Limited review

Our verdict

This comes with lots of benefits you don't get with other insurers. In addition to pregnancy cover, continuity of care and IVF cover, you get access to its 24/7 Medibank Nurse service, an OptimalMe program for mums-to-be and a pregnancy health concierge. The Growing Family Extras cover includes antenatal and postnatal classes.

Pros

Extremely comprehensive pregnancy cover.
The extras option includes antenatal and postnatal classes, pregnancy compression garments and an Australian Breastfeeding Association membership.
It's efficient. Medibank has the lowest management expenses of all open health funds.

Cons

You may still have out-of-pocket expenses.
Only 83.80% of Medibank medical services have no gap (e.g. out-of-pocket expenses). Many including Bupa, HBF, NIB and Westfund are above 90%.
It's not the only good value option. Finder 2024 Gold Award winners included St. Lukes, HBF and Health Partners.

Medibank offers a lot of pregnancy-related benefits that you won't get with other insurers, including 24/7 Medibank Nurse service, an OptimalMe program for mums-to-be and a pregnancy health concierge.
Additionally, the extras portion of the policy goes further than others we researched including ahm, Bupa, St.Lukes and HBF.
Medibank is also above average for percentage of extras charges covered (52.60% vs 49% overall) according to the latest ombudsman report.
Average prices are updated monthly when we update Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $101,000 income, $750 excess and living in Sydney.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.

Hospital Treatments
Assisted reproductive services
Back neck and spine
Blood
Bone joint and muscle
Brain and nervous system
Breast surgery
Cataracts
Cancer
Dental surgery
Diabetes management
Dialysis for chronic kidney failure
Digestive system
Ear nose and throat
Eye excluding cataracts
Gastrointestinal endoscopy
Gynaecology
Heart and vascular system
Hernia and appendix
Hospital psychiatric services
Implantation of hearing devices
Insulin pumps
Joint reconstructions
Joint replacements
Kidney and bladder
Lung and chest
Male reproductive system
Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy
Pain management
Pain management with device
Palliative care
Medically necessary plastic surgery
Podiatric surgery
Pregnancy and birth
Rehabilitation
Skin
Sleep studies
Tonsils adenoids and grommets
Weight loss surgery

Extras Treatments
Endodontic
Orthodontic
Optical
Physiotherapy
Psychology
Acupuncture
Chiropractic
Glucose monitor
Podiatry

How much does health insurance for child birth cost?

To be covered for child birth in a private hospital, you'll need a Gold tier hospital policy, or a Silver Plus policy that happens to include it. These are the highest hospital tiers, and you'll need to have the policy for at least 12 months to cover the waiting period.

The cheapest hospital cover for child birth currently costs around $67 per week.
The average hospital cover for child birth currently costs around $91 per week.

These numbers are updated based on Finder's current health insurance database, which is pulled from the Commonwealth Ombudsman each month. The prices are based on a single person earning less than $101,000 living in Sydney.

Case studies

❮ ❯

We chose to go private for our first born. I appreciate that not everyone will be in the privileged position of being able to afford the high cost (we paid about $10K out-of-pocket), but for us it was worth it as the level of care overall was excellent. We stayed at the hospital until day 6 and there was no rush for us to leave. I felt a lot of support from the midwives, especially during days 3 and 4 which are obviously key days if you're breastfeeding. I really appreciated that my partner could stay by my side the whole week too. As well as having a private room with our own bathroom there were other nice touches, such as great food and it was easy to call for extra provisions at any time, day or night.

Erin Liu, Government worker.

For me, the pros of going private included a longer hospital stay – I felt very supported by the nursing staff after giving birth – and continuity of care. I was able to have the same obstetrician throughout the whole pregnancy. But that came at a big cost: Going private cost at least $5K in out-of-pocket expenses for each pregnancy. That's not including the added cost of insurance that will cover pregnancy and birth services. I've heard many public hospitals offer continuity of care now, so if your local hospital has a good maternity wing, it might be worth saving the money and spending it on parental leave instead.

Sarah Megginson,
Head of editorial, Finder

I've no regrets about going public for my maternity care. I particularly liked the GP shared care that I did, rather than having to go to the hospital for all the midwife appointments. From my research, I'd learnt that if any serious complications occur with you or baby, you may well end up being transferred to a public hospital anyway. From a cost point of view, we only had to pay for antenatal classes and some medication. Everything else was free.

Katrina Hayes, Software engineer.

Who pays for childbirth in Australia?

Childbirth services on the public system in Australia are paid for by the government via Medicare. If you want private care – either in a private or public hospital – you will have to pay for it yourself. But you can meet some of these costs through a combination of Medicare rebates and private health insurance.

Anything that can't be claimed back on Medicare or on private health cover is known as an out-of-pocket cost.

Medicare

If you choose to give birth as a public patient at a public hospital, the government pays. Medicare will also cover other expenses throughout your pregnancy. These include midwife appointments, routine ultrasounds, blood tests and immunisations. Plus, you can get up to 3 free counselling sessions if you need emotional support.

Private health

With private health insurance in place, you can opt to give birth in a private hospital. In most cases, this will include your own room. You can also choose your own obstetrician, who you'll visit for appointments during your pregnancy and who will deliver your baby. A private plan also has cover for assisted reproductive treatments, such as IVF.

Did you know?

According to Finder's Parenting Report 2023, the top 3 reasons for going private were: better quality of treatment/care (16%), being able to choose an obstetrician (15%) and having a private room (15%). Our survey questioned 1,033 Aussie parents with children aged under 12. Respondents were a mixture of both public and private sector patients.

Do I need private health insurance for pregnancy?

Not everyone needs health insurance for pregnancy. It's important to weigh up your own circumstances before deciding if private health cover is the right choice for your needs. For more on this, read our guide on private versus public childbirth.

Pros

You can choose your obstetrician and get peace of mind that comes with continuity of care from them before, during and after your pregnancy.
Top-end policies offer a wide range of cover benefits such as first-aid classes and physiotherapy.
You can avoid some eye-wateringly high costs of private treatments if you have the right insurance in place – especially if you shop around for the best pregnancy health insurance for you.

Cons

You have to pay more for your health insurance premium for at least 12 months before you give birth.
Even with health insurance, private care can still set you back thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.
You also need to factor into your budgeting your policy's excess, which can range from $250-$1,500. This usually needs to be paid when you're discharged from a private hospital.

Mother holding a young baby who is asleep.

What costs aren't fully covered by private health insurance?

Even with a health insurance policy that covers pregnancy and birth services, there will still be additional expenses that won't be covered by all health funds.

Here are the main types of out-of-pocket costs you'll need to consider:

Out-of-hospital medical services. Services including private GP visits, blood tests, ultrasounds, specialist consultations and obstetrician check-ups tend to not be covered. Aside from antenatal classes, most of these services can be partially claimed back on Medicare.
The gap. The gap refers to the difference between the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee and what your health fund will pay for medical services. Usually this gap must be paid by you, but some private health policies can cover it.
Policy excesses and co-payments for hospital admissions. Excesses and co-pays are expenses that must be paid by you. These amounts mostly depend on factors such as if your baby requires additional postnatal care. Costs also vary from policy to policy.
Your baby's pre-release check-up. A paediatrician will come to the hospital and check on your baby. Check-ups – including any follow-up appointments – are usually not covered, but can be partially claimed back through Medicare.

Typical out-of-pocket costs

Service	Description	Approximate cost
In-hospital excess	You must pay this one-off fee on your admission to, or before you leave, the hospital when you give birth.	$500/$750
Obstetrician's management fee	The end-to-end care you receive from a private obstetrician. This covers hospital fees like delivery expenses and the doctor's insurance.	$2,500-$5,000
Ongoing appointments with your private obstetrician	This covers the regular appointments, including scans and check-ups, that you have with your obstetrician.	$100-150 per visit
Paediatrician	If you're a private patient, you have to pay for this specialist to come to the hospital for an appointment.	$150-$250 per visit
Private GP costs	The cost of going to a private doctor. In other words, an appointment that's not bulk-billed.	$50-$100 per visit
Lactation consultant	To get information and support around preparing for breastfeeding.	$150-$350 – costs vary between antenatal and postnatal. (Some health policies will pay benefits.)
Birthing classes	Privately-run antenatal or postnatal classes.	Costs vary a lot – anything from $100-$500. (Some health policies will pay benefits.)

*You'll be able to claim for some of these costs via Medicare.
**Top policies may let you claim for some of the services listed above.

How much does health insurance cost?

We ask hundreds of Australians what they're paying for health insurance every month. Here's what their bill looked like in June 2025.

Extras only: $95
Basic: $133
Bronze: $158
Silver: $213
Gold: $281

Price based on 500+ responses for single hospital or extras insurance.

Frequently Asked Questions:

There's no single "best" policy. It's important you find enough cover for you at a price that's affordable. Bupa's Gold Hospital plan, a recent Finder Award winner for Best Health Insurance, may be a good place to start your search.
In terms of pricing, we found HBF Gold Hospital and Medibank Gold Complete Hospital to be very competitive. Make sure you look into the finer detail of what's offered by each policy. Pay attention to any benefit exclusions or restrictions.
Health insurance plans vary a lot, but if you take out a top level of hospital and extras cover your benefits can include:
- Accommodation and care at a private hospital
- Assisted reproductive services
- Some hospital-administered medicines
- Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy
- Antenatal/postnatal classes
- Remedial massages
- Physiotherapy
- maternity support clothing
- Diet and nutrition appointments
- TENS machines – purchase or hire
- Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) membership
Whether you need private health insurance for pregnancy depends on your personal needs and circumstances. If you've weighed up your options and decided you'd like to go to a private hospital for your birth, it's likely you'll need private health cover. After all, a C-section alone can set you back over $10,000 without private insurance.
If you want to move to a family health insurance plan to cover your baby, you'll want to check that your baby is covered from birth. You don't always have to do this before you give birth. For example, Medibank confirmed to Finder that under its Gold Hospital Cover, you have 60 days after the baby is born to add the baby to a family policy. Each health insurance brand will have different rules, though. So be sure to check directly if you have any doubt about the time period you will or won't be covered for.
Finder research has found that 70% of first-time mothers chose the public hospital system for pregnancy and delivery. The reason most first-time mums go public comes down to cost – childbirth in a public hospital is free, whereas a standard private delivery can cost around $9,000-$10,000. When you're researching your options, you may want to start by looking into the quality of the public hospital system you're in the catchment for and where you'd birth. Speak to others who have been through the process, including friends, as well as discussions in online forums such as mothers' groups on Facebook.
Private health insurance can be worth it for pregnancy as you gain access to a number of benefits if you want to deliver in a private hospital. It means you can select your doctor and have continuity of care with the same medical team throughout your entire pregnancy, and you have access to private hospital rooms and a minimum 3-4 night stay in hospital. In a public hospital, you will usually share a room with other patients after delivery, and you will usually see a range of health care professionals throughout your pregnancy, rather than the same doctor each visit. Even with private hospital cover, you will usually be out of pocket several thousand dollars.

Thank you for your feedback!

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Angus Kidman as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

James Martin

Journalist

James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. An experienced journalist, James' work has featured in publications including The Irish Times, Companies100 and In Business. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

James's expertise

James has written 185 Finder guides across topics including:

Car, home, life, health, travel and pet insurance
Managing the cost of living
Money-saving tips

Co-written by

Tim Bennett

Insurance expert

A seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience in news, politics and finance reporting, Tim has previously held roles at the ABC, SBS and Fairfax Media. Tim’s expert insights have been quoted in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. He regularly appears on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on 7 News, Sunrise, SBS News, ABC Local, 3AW and 5AA. Tim is passionate about simplifying complex insurance topics for Australian consumers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) from Macquarie University and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). If you’re interested in a media interview with Tim, please reach out to our PR team at aupr@finder.com. See full bio

Tim's expertise

Tim has written 161 Finder guides across topics including:

Personal finance
Financial comparison
Health insurance
General insurance
Life insurance

More resources on Finder

Pregnancy & health insurance: everything you need to know

Pregnancy health cover starts at around $67 per week. Comprehensive plans will be more expensive, particularly if you want extras like birthing classes and physio visits.

Key takeaways

Compare hospital cover for pregnancy and child birth