Understanding more about Medibank’s Growing Family packages

When it comes to choosing a private health insurance for you and your growing family, we know you will need cover that meets your changing needs. Whether you want to give birth in a private or public hospital, if you want to choose your obstetrician, and whether you want access to pregnancy and early childhood services will all affect the type of policy that is right for you. We have designed a range of cover options to help assist you with different stages of your family’s journey.

Choose from these health cover options designed especially for growing families.

Medibank Gold Growing Family Complete

We recommend this package if you want the private childbirth experience, your choice of obstetrician and a private hospital.¹ You also want to make sure your family has comprehensive private Hospital cover. For the Extras component of this package, choose from 60% back or 70% back on extras at Members' Choice providers, which includes services like dental, optical and physio², plus others to support you during pregnancy and birth, like benefits towards antenatal classes and Australian Breastfeeding Association membership. You also get 100% back for kids on Extras at Members’ Choice providers.³

Medibank Silver Plus Growing Family

We recommend this package if you want to give birth in a public hospital as a public patient, but you value having Hospital cover for a range of services such as removal of tonsils right through to serious health issues like heart problems. For the Extras component of this package, choose from 60% back or 70% back on extras at Members' Choice providers, which includes services like dental, optical and physio,² plus others to support you during pregnancy and birth, like benefits towards antenatal classes and Australian Breastfeeding Association membership. You also get 100% back for kids on Extras at Members’ Choice providers.³

Medibank Bronze Plus Growing Family

We recommend this package if you want a public hospital birth and don’t require obstetrics and IVF services, but you value private Hospital cover for life’s twists and turns such as knee reconstructions and colonoscopies. For the Extras component of this package, choose from 60% back or 70% back on extras at Members' Choice providers, which includes services like dental, optical and physio², plus others to support you during pregnancy and birth, like benefits towards antenatal classes and Australian Breastfeeding Association membership. You also get 100% back for kids on Extras at Members’ Choice providers.³

_{1. a 12-month waiting period applies to Pregnancy and birth services.}

_{2. up to annual limits. Waiting periods apply, including 12 months for some dental services. Optical excludes some lens coatings.}

_{3. up to annual limits, waiting periods apply, including 12 months for some dental services. Available for dependants either under 21 or under 25 full time students.}

Hospital Benefits

Medibank’s Growing Family packages provide benefits towards thousands of in-hospital services. We’ve highlighted some of the ones most relevant to growing families in the tables below (check the Cover Summary for details of these and other services).*

_{*Medibank pays benefits towards hospital admissions for these services if Included under the cover and subject to waiting periods (see Member Guide and Cover Summary for full details). Please note that out-of-pocket costs may still apply. Speak to us, as well as your doctors and hospital, to confirm any out-of-pocket expenses you may incur.}

Extras benefits

The Growing Family packages contain a range of extras services to support you during pregnancy, birth and beyond. For information on benefit limits and prices, click ‘Get a Quote’.

All services listed below are subject to annual and other limits – please check your Cover Summary in My Medibank for details.

Waiting periods explained

Waiting periods are the length of time each member needs to wait after taking out or changing their cover, before they can receive benefits for services Included under their policy.

Waiting periods apply to new members, as well as to current members making any changes to their existing cover to include new or upgraded services or treatments. If you’re switching providers, as long as you join within 2 months of leaving your previous fund we’ll recognise waiting periods you’ve already served, so you’ll only need to serve any balance with us before you can receive benefits.

If you’re planning on starting or extending your family, it’s important you’re aware there is a 12-month waiting period for Pregnancy and birth services on hospital cover that must be served before the baby is born. Remember, babies can come early so it’s important to take this into account when you start planning your family. For example, if a mother-to-be has held cover without Pregnancy and birth and wants to upgrade her cover to include this category, she’ll need to serve the full 12-month waiting period before she can claim. Similarly, if the mother-to-be joins her partner’s policy, the 12-month waiting period will still need to be served before she can claim benefits towards Pregnancy and birth services.

Once you have a baby, make sure you add them to your cover as soon as possible^{^} to ensure they don’t have to serve additional waiting periods in case they require hospital treatment. This is particularly important for multiple births. as your second or subsequent babies will always be separately admitted to hospital as inpatients.

Beside Pregnancy and birth services, most hospital treatments have a two-month waiting period, unless we determine the condition is pre-existing. Treatment of a pre-existing condition has a 12-month waiting period.

_{^For some covers this may mean you have to do this within 2 months of the baby’s birth.}

Pre-existing condition (PEC)

A PEC is an ailment, illness or condition that, in the opinion of a Medical Practitioner appointed by Medibank, the signs or symptoms of which existed at any time in the six month period prior to the day on which the member became insured under the policy or changed their cover.

For more information check the Member Guide.

Learn more about hospital excess

An excess is the amount you pay towards your hospital admission (same-day or overnight) before we pay any benefits. Some hospitals may require you to pay this amount at the time of admission. No hospital excess applies to children on the Growing Family packages.

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