C-Section & Bupa coverage

[EvaK82]

Hello,

Apologies - this is a long post, attempting to explain my issue 😰:

It looks like I will have to have a C-section delivery for medical reasons - which I’m gutted about 😳 It’s my first pregnancy and so far nothing has gone even remotely how I had imagined it... 🤷🏼‍♀️

The policy at my busy London hospital (UCLH) is to stay at the hospital for 1-4days to recover after the section. The labour ward has only group rooms of 4-8 (plus their families and babies, potentially crying as they do...) and I really really want to avoid this if possible. 😨 I really would like a more calm and intimate environment to bond with my baby in those first precious moments and make sure I can still breast feed and also have the dad stay over as well. I’m prepared to pay for it also - but the problem is that my hospital cannot guarantee a private room (as of course some emergencies will have priority - and rightly so!). But the cost per night is also £800 (!)

I have private health insurance through BUPA and they have been treating me privately for one of the medical reason for the C-Section. I had a very severe disc prolapse which has made me bed ridden for a month and means I haven’t been able to return to work since Christmas.

So I feel like my choice of delivery is determined by the disc prolapse that Bupa is treating me for (as my doctors consider vaginal delivery too dangerous).

I know that BUPA doesn’t really cover anything pregnancy related - but they do say in my policy:

Benefit 2.5 Pregnancy & Childbirth:

Eligible Treatment of the member (mother) that relates to pregnancy or childbirth but only if:

- the Treatment is required due to a flare-up of the medical condition, and

- the Treatment is likely to lead quickly to a complete recovery or to you being restored fully to your state of health prior to the flareup of the condition without you needing to receive prolonged Treatment.

So my question to the group is: has anyone been able to claim a C-section / or the private hospital stay afterwards/ care post surgery through Bupa?

UCLH has a private wing which is served by all the same doctor as NHS - so it’s not a question of care quality but just who pays the final bill and the level of comfort / privacy afterwards. Choosing to have the full delivery privately would cost a min. Of £10K and likely much more in the case of a C-section.

Just to clarify, a part NHS and part private set up is possible but I have the risk of not getting the private room after which I really want. Going all private means that I have the room guaranteed but a huge bill which I can’t afford.

So BUPA would be the perfect solution- and I feel it’s only fair as this whole C-sections debacle isn’t what i want but what is safe for my spine and the baby 😞

[emmab178]

This is very tricky and you don't want to end up with a bill because you misinterpreted your policy.

Phone and ask Bupa if c section is covered under your circumstances.

I only stayed in one night after my c section.

You also assume nothing goes wrong, if it does your 10k might be more

[EvaK82 in reply to emmab178]

You are right and that is my ultimate my plan. But as I can only call them once about this (they record all calls), I wanted to hear from others if this was ever done before - in case i needed to argue or consider any tips when speaking with them...

[Lovefood1984]

I don’t have any advice on the bupa part but can sympathise on the room sharing, I switched hospitals because of that and the parking. The transfer to get me on another trusts books for delivery was a nightmare mind! The hospital I went to was a newly built one and regardless of delivery if you stayed you got your own room and Dad could stay too. The one I was assigned you could stay overnight in your delivery room if low risk and no one needed it (these are newer and en-suite bathrooms etc and dad can stay) or if high risk the delivery rooms were old hospital rooms, jack and Gill bathrooms during labour and then shared ward afterwards and no chance of dads staying. Having never stayed in hospital before, a phobia of sick and not enjoying those places you can see why I opted to move although in the end I sent him home for a full nights sleep before we came home but at least the option was there. Husband also preferred to drive to the one we switched to.

Wishing you all the best that you get what you want and you and baby have a safe delivery x

[emmab178]

I've thing i never appreciated about having dad stay was that someone should be getting sleep and its easier for them to get home, get sleep, do a shop/ meal run and then come back to the hospital to be use during the day.

I'm not sure how the other mums went on but my daughter was exhausted the first night and slept about 8 hours (i got told off for not walking her to feed every 3 hours!) So the first night whilst stuck in bed was fine. Take earplugs though, other babies are crying.

Other dads who did the private room only have an uncomfortable chair to sleep on so they don't get any sleep. My friend who lives in Somerset with a hospital miles away had her husband stay over and he fell asleep at the wheel on the way home and crashed the car.

On my next section i won't do a private room as its not that bad and your not in there for long all being well.

[baby2016]

Found this link for you, pros and cons, and one woman managed to get it x

mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/...

[EvaK82 in reply to baby2016]

Amazing! This is exactly how I had imagined it... I’m in agreement with everyone‘s comments about emergency care being better in NHS etc - but my hospital is an NHS hospital which just a private wing. The doctors are the same ones and I can’t see access problems being an issue really, but will bring it up. Thanks Baby2016 xx