Moving, About to Give Birth, No HK Insurance!

My understanding is that public hospitals in HK will only perform c sections if it's necessary ie it's not optional - unless you're willing to pay private fees at public hospitals which means you might as well go to a private hospital.

Some airlines may not allow pregnant passenger(not too sure, maybe until seven months) to board

unless a medical certificate is presented.

It won't take 3 months for you to get an ID card. That'll qualify you for the public hospital system at 'local rates'. If your AU insurance doesn't cover overseas treatment then when you arrange one that does (and you DO need one - plus your husband's employer might have a role to play in that one) try to get one that will transfer benefits over, so that you don't have to serve the standard 10-month (?) waiting period for maternity. Most 'international' providers will cover a C-section, although some do so only on a non-elective basis. Good luck!

Hello,


My wife and I had our 2nd child in a public hospital in Hong Kong. Our first child was delivered in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The difference was unbelievable. I was part of the entire birth process in Abu Dhabi. I helped guide my son through the birth canal. I cut his umbilical cord, and I washed him. I was not even present for the birthof my daughter. Hospital staff know their stuff here, there is just huge cultural differences. They are control freaks and have extremely poor people skills (from a western perspective). Needless to say, I want to murder and would take great enjoyment in it doing so the bitch responsible for blocking my involvement in my daughters birth, yet Hong Kong laws prevent it.


It is a trade off. Your child will be safe in the public health system here, but you will feel powerless. On the other hand, as mentioned in ohter responses, private care can be expensive 70, 000 HKD. My advice, swallow the short term loss like my wife and I elected to do. We have invested the cost of birth at a private hospital into a college fund for our daughter. Yet, I still have mixed feelings. I wonder in I made the right decision. The strongest memory in my mind is when my son was born (the powerful emotions of just typing this message to you now is bringing me to tears). I feel guilty that I do not have this with me daughter.


Take much time to discuss this with your husband. Also, if your baby is not due until 07, then your dependent visa should easily be processed by then.


Good luck with your situation and congrats on your happy journey.

You can check Union Hospital in Tai Wai, bit out of the way as in New Territories, but if you go for elective C section, I guess you will choose the day and time, so location should not be too much of an issue? they have hotel type accommodation, great doctors/anesthesist and price is relatively low compared to the fully private clinics.

I gave birth there, and if I compare to France in the best private Paris, Union was more than great.

If you are a Westerner, no Chinese lady will probably want to share with you, you usually get the twin room only for yourself.


http://www.union.org/new/english/charges/charges_maternity.htm

It really depends on which part of town you will be living at. There are semi-private maternity wards even in the public hospital ie Queen Mary's and Prince of Wales Hospital, but as far as C-section is concerned you will have to check around. I would suggest you go to a gyn in HK once you arrive and ask him for advice. Tell him your circumstances and see if he could give you a good recommendation because usually the doctors have several hospitals where they operate depending on the patients' choice or medical coverage. Try Dr Chan Chau Sing @ 25770393 who is the honorary consultant in O&G for the Sanatorium Hospital. I once had a hormonal disorder that required further tests. Dr Chan gave me the option of being followed up by the public hospital or by him. His clinic is in Causeway Bay, opposite of Sogo. His wife is a pediatrician.

[quote='Oz_Xpat']

Does anyone know of an insurance company that will cover a caesarean birth (can you book one with the public system if you don't have insurance)? Do you need to have your dependant visa through before getting insurance as it may not be ready in time!


It looks as though we will be moving to HK in late October and I am due in late January 07. Problem is we have premium hospital insurance and cover for the birth and family in Australia but they do not cover OS! Has anyone else been in this situation? What did you do and how was the outcome?


I have read lots of threads here and have tried to read the insurance requirements on websites but they are in legal English and I am getting nowhere!

(I am based in Hong Kong)

[/quote]


I am almost in your situation. We will move to HK at th beginning of November and I'm due with my third child at the beginning of April. I do not know which insurance company and which package to choose, although I have decided to write down exactly what my family needs and ask different insurance companies to give me some options. I hope that it will work, it will be definitely easier to choose from those options. They will also tell you with which hospitals they are in connection with the rates included.

Please let me know if you made any progress in this respect it would help me a lot, too. Thnx.

kkintseu,

In case Oz_Xpat is (a) not checking this site regularly, or (b) didn't set the 'send notification of response' to ON, it might be worth sending a PM to ensure that he/she gets your request sooner. It seems you're after a fairly quick response and the PM might be the way to go. Good luck. [PM = personal message sent via the control panel.]