Costs explained
Fees & billing
What families typically pay for their baby’s paediatric care, and what the fee covers.
Last reviewed
Typical fees
Last financial year, the typical family’s total out-of-pocket for their baby’s whole hospital stay was about $580, or about $125 for families past the Medicare Safety Net. Pregnancy and obstetric fees in the same calendar year often take families past the threshold before the baby arrives. For the Safety Net to apply to your baby’s bill, your baby must be enrolled in Medicare and included in your Medicare Safety Net family, and your family needs to confirm its Safety Net details with Medicare. How to confirm your Medicare Safety Net family (Services Australia).
Out-of-pocket totals above $1,500 are rare (fewer than one family in a hundred last financial year). They come from the after-hours and overnight patterns in the table below, before the Safety Net column applies. Longer Special Care admissions are usually billed through your health fund instead. To go through likely costs before the birth, contact the rooms.
What the fee covers
- A first paediatric review after the birth, then a planned review most days of the stay
- The discharge examination before you go home, recorded in your baby’s green book
- 24-hour cover: the ward can contact the on-call paediatrician urgently, at any hour, when clinically needed
- Medical management of problems that arise as your baby adapts, such as breathing, feeding, blood sugar, weight loss, jaundice or infection, with advice on preventive care
Some problems only appear after you go home, so follow-up continues with the Maternal & Child Health visits and the six-week check.
Risk figures by gestation are on understanding the risks.
Typical patterns by birth timing
The timing of the first attendance drives the total: billed totals across the scenarios below are $550 – $2,100 before Medicare. Line-item detail is on in-hospital fees.
| Scenario | Days | Total billed | Gap after Medicare | Gap with Safety Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Single ward review 110 | 1 | $550 | $394 | $79 |
Elective vaginal birth: paediatric review 110 → 119 → 119 → 116 | 4 | $935 | $612 | $122 |
Weekend vaginal birth: paediatric review 110 → 119 → 119 → 116 | 4 | $1,035 | $712 | $142 |
Elective C-section (in hours) 110 → 116 → 119 → 116 | 4 | $1,255 | $899 | $179 |
Emergency C-section (in hours) or weekend elective C-section 110 → 116 → 119 → 116 | 4 | $1,405 | $1,049 | $224 |
After-hours C-section (not overnight) 110 → 116 → 119 → 116 | 4 | $1,605 | $1,249 | $424 |
Overnight C-section 110 → 116 → 119 → 119 → 116 | 5 | $2,060 | $1,659 | $826 |
Indicative figures only. The final invoice reflects the care provided. SCN admissions follow a different billing arrangement (see SCN billing).
Which page applies to you
Billing differs by where care happens:
In hospital
While your baby is on the postnatal ward at Frances Perry House
Initial paediatric attendance + ward reviews + discharge check. Medicare rebates every eligible item; private health funds don't cover well-baby ward fees (outpatient classification).
Outpatient clinic & telehealth
Antenatal, post-discharge follow-up, telehealth, procedures
Consulting rooms at Suite 9, Level 2 (or via phone / video). 85% Medicare rebate, EMSN safety net applies.
Special Care Nursery
If your baby is admitted to SCN
Your baby becomes a hospital inpatient: Medicare and your health fund both contribute if your baby is on your policy, and a gap may apply. For longer admissions the gap is capped.
Before we meet
Referral: a GP or obstetrician referral is required for the Medicare rebate (GP referrals are valid for 12 months, obstetrician/specialist referrals for 3 months). For in-hospital newborn care at Frances Perry House, your obstetrician’s request is the referral. It’s arranged for you and covers the first 3 months.
Registration: complete the newborn registration form before or shortly after birth. The form captures your clinical background and the current fee schedule in full.
On the day: bring your Medicare card and, if you have private health cover, your membership details.
Quick answers about invoices
- When does the invoice arrive, and how much will it be?
- How do I pay, and how is the Medicare rebate lodged?
- What is the Medicare Safety Net, and does it apply to us?
Step-by-step payment guide: paying your invoice.
Administrative requests
Letters, repeat scripts, referrals and form completion requested outside a consultation attract a flat $50 fee, which is not Medicare-rebatable or claimable from your health fund.
No charge when the request is part of an appointment, or made within 7 days of a consultation.
Ongoing referrals to other specialists should ideally come from your GP.
Requests are made through the rooms: call (03) 9007 2099 or email admin@neopaeds.au.
Common questions about fees
Can I get a written quote before I commit?
Yes. Our rooms can put together an estimate based on your expected delivery, anticipated length of stay, and whether Special Care admission is likely. Call (03) 9007 2099 or email admin@neopaeds.au.
What if my baby goes to Special Care? Will my health fund cover the fees?
If your baby is covered by your policy, your fund contributes alongside Medicare: in the Special Care Nursery your baby is a hospital inpatient. A gap may apply, and for longer admissions it is capped. Check with your fund that your baby will be on your policy. The full arrangement is on the SCN billing page.
What if we’re unable to pay the full amount?
Please contact our rooms as soon as you receive the invoice. Payment plans can usually be arranged for families who need them; the earlier we hear from you, the more options there are.
What happens if a different paediatrician sees my baby?
If Dr Jubal is unavailable, a practice colleague covers and visits your baby. It stays on the one practice invoice: that attendance is simply annotated with the covering paediatrician’s provider number (we bill on their behalf), under the same MBS items.