Obstetrician Melbourne Fees
Why am I charged a pregnancy planning & management fee?
The management fee facilitates personalised pregnancy care & 24/7 private cover for your pregnancy. Personalised pregnancy care includes consideration of a patient’s personal delivery preferences and also prompt quality management of any complications of pregnancy that occur. Such complications can have a considerable impact on the wellbeing of a patient and her baby.
The management fee also allows us to run our practice efficiently with minimal patient waiting time and inconvenience, with the opportunity to see a patient whenever there is a problem between scheduled visits (such as if bleeding or pain occurs) or if you simply lose your referral, pathology request or other important documents that you require immediately, you will not be waiting for days such as in the public system.
This fee covers the large medical insurance cost the obstetrician must have in order to practice along with many other overheads (rent, wages, medical equipment etc.). It reimburses the Obstetrician for providing 24/7 cover.
Dr. Suzana loves what she does and takes pride in her work, and taking the best care possible of her patients.
What is the relationship between the management fee and my delivery fee?
NONE. The management fee is independent of your delivery fee.
The management fee (Medicare item 16590 or 19591 - depending if you decide on private care or shared care) is independent of the delivery fee (Medicare item 16519 or 16522 – depending on your delivery).
The Government expects the management fee to be paid once in a pregnancy. The management fee amount is the same irrespective of the type delivery, the number of week gestation you are when you deliver, whether or not Dr. Suzana is personally available to deliver your baby.
What happens if you are not able to deliver my baby?
Dr. Suzana personally delivers the babies of well over 95% of her patients with many ongoing pregnancies. While she is usually available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to attend when you go into labour and to deliver your baby, there are scenarios when this does not happen.
As your management fee is independent to your delivery fee, you are not entitled to a refund (in full or in part) of your management fee in the chance that Dr. Suzana is not available to personally deliver your baby.
In the event that Dr. Suzana cannot delivery your baby she will have to pay the specialist that does; as mentioned previously the obstetrics group she is in are all female obstetricians whom are also highly experienced.
The most common scenarios when she may not deliver your baby include:
Early preterm delivery. Less than 3% of patients will deliver before 34 weeks pregnancy.
Dr. Suzana is not available as she needs a mental health rest day, she is on holidays, has a family commitment, is at a conference, etc and has arranged for a fellow obstetrician colleague to provide cover (whom are all female obstetricians in her group, highly experienced in normal & high risk pregnancies/deliveries).
Dr. Suzana is operating or delivering another patient when you are delivering (has not happened to date, but is possible).
Please understand that Dr. Suzana will do everything in her power to make it to your labour & delivery.
If you have any questions at all please feel free to call the office on 9419 8333 or ask us at your next appointment, Stefanka & Stefani will be able to help you out.