The Women’s is a public health care facility for patients who meet the hospital access criteria. In addition to providing care to public patients the Women’s provides care to the following patients:
- Patients without a Medicare card
- Patients from countries that have Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia
- Asylum seekers
- Private patients
Patients without a Medicare Card
If you are not eligible for Medicare you will be required to pay for all hospital services.
Patients who do not have a Medicare card or who are not eligible for Medicare benefits will need to organise payment with Patient Accounts before receiving care and services.
Charges may vary depending on the treatment provided and whether you are covered by an Australian Health Insurance Policy. Please note: If you are insured with an overseas insurance provider, you will be:
- classified as an uninsured patient, and
- be required to pay the fees outlined under uninsured patient fees, and
- will need to claim any reimbursement directly from your fund.
If you are:
Patients covered by private health insurance need to visit Patient Accounts and sign claim forms before each appointment. An invoice will be sent directly to your private health fund for reimbursement. If you do not sign a claim form charges incurred for your treatment will need to be paid by you. Please note that any shortfall between the amount charged and benefits paid by your health fund remain your responsibility and must be paid by you.
If you do not have private health insurance or are not covered by private health insurance you must contact or visit Patient Accounts before you use our services or are admitted for treatment. The cost of your treatment will be confirmed and you will be given an invoice which you can pay at the Cashiers. The Patient Accounts and Cashiers offices are located on the ground floor of the Women’s.
For patients attending the Women's Community Clinics or patients attending the hospital out of business hours, invoices will be posted to you.
A general guide to costs
If you are not eligible for Medicare you will be required to pay for all hospital services. Charges may vary depending on the treatment provided and whether you are covered by an Australian Health Insurance Policy. If you are insured with an overseas insurance provider, please see the uninsured fees listed on this page, for the relevant service you are seeking care for.
Please note: the charges outlined are given as a general guide only and will sometimes change without notice.
We require payment for emergency services upon your arrival for treatment, even if you are covered by an Australian Health Insurance Policy. You will receive an invoice and receipt to submit a claim to your insurer, if applicable.
| Emergency Department Consultation | $650 per consultation |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical Services | Full cost |
| Outpatient Appointment (at hospital/phone/video call) |
$450 per appointment |
|---|---|
| Antenatal and Postnatal Outpatient Appointments (at hospital/phone/video call) *Inclusive of pathology services. |
$450 per appointment* |
| Ultrasound | $270 per appointment |
| Pharmaceutical Services | Full cost |
| Childbirth Education | $300 |
More information: Childbirth Education
| Day rate per day | |
|---|---|
| Pregnancy Day Care | $1,800 |
| Maternity (birth episode) | $4,650 (0 to 1 day) $3,950 (2+ days) |
| Medical | $2,300 |
| Gynaecology/Surgery | $3,600 |
| Reconstructive Breast Surgery | $5,100 |
| Intensive care (RMH) | $7,700 |
| Hospital in the Home (HITH) | $650 |
| Neonate Intensive Care | $5,800 (0 to 4 days) $5,150 (5+ days) |
| Special Care Nursery | $4,250 |
| Twin and each baby thereafter in ward with mother | $1,220 |
| Medical fees including anaesthetic fees | Full cost |
|---|---|
| Radiology & Pathology services | Full cost |
| Theatre charges |
$757 minimum |
| Prostheses | Full cost |
| Pharmaceutical services | Full cost |
Non-public patients
In addition to providing care to public patients the Women’s provides care to the following patients:
If you are uninsured for pregnancy care and the birth of your baby the Uninsured Maternity Fee covers all your costs for hospital services as a maternity patient and up to 6 weeks postnatal care where hospital care is required. The fee includes medical, emergency, outpatient, inpatient, pathology, theatre, pharmacy and postnatal care in the home services, plus complex obstetric ultrasounds for high-risk pregnancies.
Please note this fee does not include:
- the costs of routine blood and urine tests required before your first appointment, routine ultrasounds and the 18-20 week gestation ultrasound are not included in the fee. Please contact your GP to arrange these tests.
- the costs of your baby’s care if your baby requires admission or treatment
- Childbirth Education classes.
Payment can be made as
- three equal instalments prior to delivery totalling $20,200
OR - to receive 10% discount, one payment in full at the time of the first Maternity Outpatient Appointment of $18,000.
For details of our fees, please contact Patient Accounts.
If you are a resident of a country that has a health care agreement with Australia (known as a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement) you may be entitled to limited subsidised health services for medically necessary treatment. It only applies to ill-health or injury which occurs while you are visiting Australia and requires treatment before you go home; it does not include planned or elective treatment. Visitors to Australia on student visas may not be eligible for Medicare assistance and may be required, as a condition of their student visa, to take out Overseas Student Health Cover.
Patients who may be eligible for reciprocal rights will also need to show a current passport or Reciprocal Health Care Card. Visitors from Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovenia may also be required to show a current European Health Insurance Card. (See Patient Accounts)
For any enquiries regarding eligibility and applications for a Reciprocal Health Care Card, contact Medicare on 13 20 11.
If you are an asylum seeker or refugee you are entitled to free medical care except for a small co-payment for outpatient medications and medications on discharge.
Before your first appointment or treatment you will need to provide supporting documentation confirming your status from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship or from a recognised asylum support agency such as Red Cross or IHMS. If the documentation is not produced you will be billed, however, the fees will be waived if the documents are shown to us at a later date. (See Patient Accounts).
You may choose to be a private patient at the Women’s under the care of a specialist who has admitting rights at the Women’s, provided you meet the hospital's access criteria.
We unfortunately cannot accept all private patient requests. To understand whether you meet the hospital access criteria, please contact us.
Contact the Private Patient Liaison Officer:
- (03) 8345 2929
- 0412 101 931
Your local doctor may help you to choose a specialist at the Women's and can provide a referral. Alternately you may search for a doctor by using the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists website.
If you choose to be a private patient at the Women’s, this does not entitle you to a single room or to be prioritised for surgery based on your private status. Single rooms are allocated to women with medical or clinical reasons and surgery is based on clinical urgency.
Please check with your private health insurance fund to understand what is covered and with your specialist and the Private Patient Liaison Officer at the Women’s, as to whether you can expect out of pockets for the following range of services:
- hospital admission
- medical fees
- diagnostic fees (ultrasound and blood tests)
- prostheses.
For more information please contact the Private Patient Liaison Officer.
Related information
Date reviewed: 16 October 2024
Date reviewed: 16 October 2024