Call 1800 226 126

Do you still have the right private health cover?

As your health needs change, it’s vital to check your cover and upgrade before you need to make a claim.

All health funds apply waiting periods for hospital cover and extras, ranging from two months to two years, depending on the type of service.

Not sure what you need? Just call our expert Member Service Team on 1800 226 126 and we’ll help you understand your health cover options and any waiting periods.

Planning a family?​

What services are you covered for?

The first step is to check your health insurance cover to make sure pregnancy services aren’t excluded. To be covered as a private patient for your delivery, you will need to have a hospital policy that includes cover for Pregnancy and Birth. Pregnancy and Birth is the specific clinical category that covers inpatient hospital services related to the birth of your baby.

  • If you have Smart Starter Bronze Plus, you will need to upgrade to Prime Choice Gold or Top Cover Gold to be covered for the delivery of the baby
  • If you currently have a singles policy, upgrading to a family policy means your premium will increase
  • If you’re upgrading or are new to health insurance, there is a 12-month waiting period to access Pregnancy and Birth, so it’s essential that you upgrade your health cover before becoming pregnant
  • If you’re new to Doctors’ Health Fund and weren’t previously covered for Pregnancy and Birth, you’ll need to serve the 12-month waiting period

Making sure the baby is covered

If you’re on a family or single parent policy that includes cover for children, you can add your baby within 60 days of their date of birth. Your baby will be covered from their date of birth with no waiting periods, and adding your newborn won’t change your premiums.

If you’re on a singles or couples policy that doesn’t include cover for children, you’ll need to upgrade to a family policy so that your new baby is covered and doesn’t have to serve any waiting periods. You have 60 days from when your baby is born to add them without the need to serve waiting periods.

If you contact us after the 60-day period, you can still add your baby to your policy. However, cover will start from the date you contact us, and standard waiting periods will apply.

For more information, call our expert Member Service Team on 1800 226 126 or email us on info@doctorshealthfund.com.au

Already pregnant?

Congratulations! Call us now to check that you’re covered for the delivery of the baby and find out what costs are involved.

To be covered as a private patient for your delivery, you will need to have a hospital policy that includes cover for Pregnancy and birth. Pregnancy and birth is the specific clinical category that covers inpatient hospital services related to the birth of your baby. If you’re new to Doctors’ Health Fund and weren’t previously covered for Pregnancy and birth, you’ll need to serve the 12-month waiting period.

Extras cover includes benefits for Pregnancy care, where benefits are paid towards a range of services including midwifery, pre-natal and post-natal classes, and pelvic floor physiotherapy. It is important to note that you need to serve a 2-month waiting period to access Pregnancy care extras cover.

Please click here to find out more about pregnancy and birth cover.

Getting married or have a new partner?​

You can add your partner to your health insurance cover through Online Member Services, by calling our expert Member Service Team on 1800 226 126 or emailing us on info@doctorshealthfund.com.au.

If your partner already has health insurance, we’ll organise the transfer across to Doctors’ Health Fund for you. Here are the details we'll need to know to complete the transfer:

  • full name
  • date of birth
  • name of current health fund
  • membership number
  • Transfer Certificate (sometimes referred to as a Clearance Certificate)
  • Medicare card number

If your partner doesn’t have private health cover, is transferring from a lower level of cover or have been without private health cover for more than 60 days, they’ll need to serve waiting periods before they can claim benefits. If you’re unsure what waiting periods may apply, we recommend contacting us before adding your partner or commencing any treatment.

Changing your name?​

If you’re changing your name, email us a copy of the relevant certificate showing your new name or your new ID (such as your driver’s licence or passport). We’ll update your policy and send you a new membership card.