Following a referral from your Obstetrician, your baby has been admitted to Special Care Nursery under the care of a Melbourne Neonatal Network Paediatrician. He/she thinks it likely that your baby will need to stay in the nursery for a week or more. Your Paediatrician will visit your baby every weekday and one of the Paediatricians in our group will visit each day at the weekend. One of us will be available at any time of the day or night in the unlikely event that your baby needs urgent medical attention.
A discussion about the costs involved with your baby’s/babies’ care might be seen as insensitive or inappropriate at such a tiring and emotional time, but we feel that it is important for you to be informed of your financial obligations to avoid any misunderstanding later. This form explains the options available to you in settling the account for our care of your baby.
Most families opt for us to use a billing system called Eclipse. Using this government system, we can electronically submit your account directly to Medicare and almost every private health fund after your baby goes home. Your health fund will settle their part of this account directly with us. This Eclipse account covers the majority of the cost of the medical services that your baby will have received.
Soon after your baby has been admittted into the Special Care Nursery, you will receive a separate account from Melbourne Neonatal Network for the ‘out of pocket’ or ‘gap’ component. This is the amount over and above what is paid by Medicare and your private health fund; the amount is $500 (per baby). You should settle this account directly with us.
It is also important you register your baby with Medicare as soon as possible, as we need this number to process the Eclipse claim. You do not need to wait for your baby's birth certificate inorder to submit your application. Your Obstetrician signd a Proof of Birth which will suffice.
** Please note if we have not received a valid Medicare number within 8 weeks after your baby has been discharged from the Special Care Nursery, we will invoice you the entire amount and you will need to pay us upfront, then claim it back with your health fund and Medicare. This will also mean the gap will be bigger than $500, as it will be past the cut-off date to submit via Eclipse.
We suggest you phone Medicare to check the status of the application, as they can issue the number over the phone to you.
If your paediatrician met with you prior to the birth of the baby for an antenatal consultation, this will be charged separately and is a separate charge of up to $500 as an ‘out of pocket’ fee. If your health fund does not use Eclipse, we will let you know.
If you choose not to be billed via Eclipse, then you will receive an account for the whole amount (Medicare, health fund and gap payment which will be greater than $500), which you should settle directly with our practice. The Medicare and health fund component can then be claimed back from your health fund. Most parents do not choose this option as it results in an out of pocket expense in the short-term while they wait for their health fund to reimburse them. Please ask your paediatrician if you would like any further explanation about these two options.