HCF has partnered with the largest not-for-profit private hospital in New South Wales, Sydney Adventist Hospital, to provide the first end-to-end no-gap obstetric care package for the insurer's members.
According to HCF Chief Officer for Member Health, Julie Andrews, the partnership represents a paradigm shift in the way insurers and providers can provide greater value to private health members.
“From your first scan to the moment your baby enters the world, HCF and the San are proud to guarantee from today no out-of-pocket costs for parents when they enrol with this package,” said Ms Andrews.
“We know that out-of-pocket costs have been a big issue for expectant mums and have led to a drop in the number of births in private hospitals. This is the first example of its type in Australia that guarantee’s no out-of-pocket costs throughout the whole pregnancy journey and is another great example of HCF’s ‘Uncommon Care’ approach to private health insurance.
"This partnership in northern Sydney demonstrates that HCF, the San and its specialists are equally committed to working collaboratively to improve the affordability and sustainability of private healthcare for HCF’s members,” she said.
Hospital CEO Brett Goods said the no-gap package means HCF members can have the full obstetrician-led private hospital experience with zero out-of-pocket costs – saving expectant parents an average of $5,000.
“As a leading private hospital in Sydney, the San is committed to delivering world-class care across the entire pregnancy journey. We are delighted so many of our specialists support this initiative to deliver no-gap obstetric care to HCF members,” said Mr Goods.
“The partnership between the San and HCF means that expectant parents no longer need to worry about out-of-pocket costs for ultrasounds, pathology or hospital services, or from their obstetrician, anaesthetist or paediatrician when they enrol in this program. We believe this Australian-first initiative will make it even more compelling for families to choose the San as the best place to welcome their newborn baby into the world,” he said.
Ms Andrews continued, “This initiative demonstrates that the private health sector can collaborate to address fundamental concerns of privately insured members, like unexpected out-of-pocket costs. We know that our 1.6 million members are looking to us to do everything we can to tackle the rising costs of healthcare.
“As a not-for-profit organisation, we take these concerns seriously and we’re willing to rewrite the rule book on how we work with our providers to improve affordability and jointly bolster the value proposition of private health insurance. We are committed to making health care affordable and are willing to challenge the status quo to deliver innovative solutions for consumers.”
The package will be available to all HCF members who hold appropriate level of cover (Pregnancy amd Birth related services) and have served the 12-month waiting period for obstetrics and pregnancy. The excess the HCF member has chosen on their product still applies.