[real_sunfire]

As many of you know my fiancee and I are going out from the UK to NZ in November on visitor visas.

My fiancee is pregnant but she is worried about the medical costs of pregnancy and birth in NZ as a visitor. She looked at the AOB (http://www.obstetrics.co.nz/) and the cost of giving birth and a room there is over £2000!!! I now realise this is a private hospital but it has got us thinking. Hopefully we will have PR before the birth (in April) but then again we may not, and anyway we will probably have to have scans, see midwives, etc. before we get PR. If we have to pay lots of money this may make us have to re-think our plans.

Is there an agreement between the UK NHS and the NZ health service so that British visitors who are mums to be don't have to pay huge amounts for pregnancy services compared to NZ residents/citizens? If so are there any forms we need to fill in before we go over?

Any links to the offiical documents as well your comments gratefully receieved.

Thank you.

Rgds.,
Nick.

[jubjub]

If you use an obstetrician, you pay anyhow, resident or not. Also if you look at the Birthcare website, a room there will cost you too as a non resident, (even in a shared room) and you get sent there after a normal birth, you dont stay in the hospital longer than absolutely necessary. http://www.birthcare.co.nz/ (one girl in my coffee group was turfed out two hours after birth!)

I had to pay for my obstetrician and all my scans, and one of the specialised blood tests, and we had pr. Scan charges vary depending on where you go (or get sent) this is where we went. Ascot hospital http://www.ascothospital.com/

There will also be charges for delivering the baby at the hospital too, but I have no clue as to what they are, you could try contacting them? http://www.adhb.govt.nz/, they may also be able to tell you if there are reduced charges for UK citizens.

http://www.adhb.govt.nz/nwhealthinfo/, this is the specific maternity section...

Hope that helps a bit...

[jaycee]

Re the reciprocal health agreement:

http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/f872666357c511eb4c25666d000c8888/a8444d02366b4960cc256dba0077281a?OpenDocument

"Maternity services required during birth, labour and the immediate postnatal period are covered under the Reciprocal Agreement, as are any maternity service that is required urgently. However, routine antenatal services, are not covered and you can expect to be charged for these services."

I wonder if any travel/medical insurance you may be taking out would cover the rest? Somehow I doubt it, but it may be worth looking into what they say about your fiancee's "condition" :)