Adding your baby to your health cover

Did you know that your health cover doesn’t automatically include your baby?

This is important if your baby needs to be admitted to hospital as an inpatient (for example, if they need treatment in a special care nursery or neonatal intensive care unit). If you’re expecting a multiple birth, you’ll also need to make sure each baby is included in your cover. This is because your second or subsequent babies would be separately admitted to hospital as inpatients, which means the hospital charge a separate accommodation fee. 

How do I add my newborn baby?

To make sure your newborn baby is covered from birth, it’s important to add them to your policy within the right timeframe.

Single membership

Add your newborn baby within two months of birth or inclusion in your family unit. Your cover will change to a single parent family, and higher premiums will apply and be charged for the backdated period from their date of birth and from the date of inclusion going forward. If added after two months, waiting periods will apply.

Couple or family membership

You have up to 12 months to add your newborn baby from their date of birth. If added after 12 months, cover will start from the date you add your baby and waiting periods will apply.

To ensure your newborn baby is covered from day one, your Medibank policy must begin on or before their birth or inclusion date. You can either backdate the addition of your newborn to the policy as of their date of birth within the relevant timeframe, or select a start date of your choosing. Should you choose your own start date, waiting periods may apply.  

Call us on 132 331 to add your baby to your cover.

What will Medibank pay benefits toward? 

If you have Medibank Hospital cover that includes pregnancy and birth services, and you have served the 12-month waiting period, we’ll pay benefits towards:

• overnight and same day hospital accommodation in a private hospital (less any applicable excess)
• intensive care 
• medical services where a Medicare rebate applies
• overnight and same-day accommodation in a shared room if you’re a private patient in a public hospital (less any applicable excess)

You’ll need to pay any hospital excess and/or per-day payment (also known as a co-payment) that applies to your level of cover. There may be other expenses that you’ll need to pay, such as TV hire, newspapers, parking or other items such as crutches. The hospital should discuss any charges with you.

Waiting periods

Waiting periods may apply for both Hospital and Extras cover. For pregnancy and birth services and pre-existing conditions, there is a  12 month waiting period from the time that you became insured or changed your cover to include new or upgraded services. This waiting period applies regardless of the baby’s due date or whether you were pregnant at the time of taking out or upgrading your cover to include pregnancy and birth services.

Medibank won’t pay benefits towards any items that you purchase or services you receive while you’re serving a waiting period.

For more information

Please see the Cover Summary or Member Guide for more information.