pregnancy costs

[gravida]

I would like to plan my budget, but since I do not have any experience in the area - I am not able to predict what kind of costs should I include in it. I do have a gynecologist, who charges around $100 per visit + $80 per ultrasound scan + $80 per PAP smear, if I remember correctly. It is not covered by my insurance and will not be.
So, I can roughly estimate the costs of the gynea visits, but that's it.
What kind of costs should I be prepared to, considering that everything will go reasonably well (I understand that sometimes woman need special help, rest in the hospital etc., but I also hope it will not happen to me)?
I have heard about 'pregnancy packages', are they worth to look into?
I am 99% percent sure that due to underlying condition I will have to go through amniocentesis and other through tests. I am not sure if they do it in Mt Elisabeth where my current gynecologist works, or they send for example to KKH?

I know my questions are quite general and nobody can predict what kind of tests and blood works will be done for me, but maybe you can share your stories to give me some picture? Thanks in advance

[mondaymorningquarterback]

The OB will usually have a package for your whole pregnancy. The bulk of your cost will be from the hospital stay. We had our baby at Mt Alvernia and the total bill for the mother and baby for a 3 night stay was about $10,000. The rates they advertise is only for the room and does not include equipment, drugs, nurses, etc. They were vague when we asked them how much it will cost before we registered with them. The only place that will be cheaper is probably going to be KKH.

[mondaymorningquarterback]

I think there are a few vendors that has a lab for amniocentesis. Thomson medical is one of them. The procedure carries a slight chance for a miscarriage. We didnt do the amniocentesis and everything turned out ok. I kinda wished we had because then the pregnancy would be a whole less stressful for me.

[gravida]

Thanks for the answer. The chances I will go through amniocentesis are 90%, as my doc already has mentioned it.
I know the biggest cost will be the delivery itself (with all the additional things you have mentioned, like the hospital charges, drugs, checkups etc.) and the estimated rates are available on the hospital's or MOH websites.

How much was your package for the pregnancy?

[cbavasi]

I was pretty naive when I had a baby here and didn't realize that the doctors fee for delivery was separate from the hospital "package" listed. You generally will pay for your doctors delivery fee, anesthesiologist fee (if you choose an epidural), hospital delivery room/board, pediatrician visit...etc. Your OBGYN should be able to give you a rough estimate for these additional costs.

[gravida]

Yeah, I know it is all separate. I've been searching for a while in google etc.
Maybe I will ask other way - those of you who had delivered children in Gleneagles and Mt. E.*, what kind of gynecological packages were you offered, as well as how was the final bill for the delivery itself (be it vaginal or cesarean)?

* I assume the two have quite similar fees

I am asking because I will not see the OBGYN until at least 7 weeks after conception, since there is no point to schedule visit earlier, as he can't say more than a home pregnancy test only later on he will be able to see beating heart etc.

One other question, not related to the costs - did any of you had beta HCG test to confirm pregnancy? And if yes - where did you do it? At your gynecologist clinic, somewhere else?
So far I did not find any information about the test in Sg and in my country that's the first thing done after positive HPT.

[cbavasi]

I delivered at Gleneagles, was not offered a package through my OBGYN and the actual delivery was on par with the estimate given from her office.

[beppi]

Our experience (at Mt. A) was that the charges are quite opaque - even the staff could not explain everything clearly - and changed from bill version to version considerably. There are lots of hidden costs and the actual bill is usually around double of the "package" they tell you about beforehand. And then Gyn, other doctor's fees and any special treatment go on top of that.
We were slightly below the abovementioned S$10k (without complications), because we chose a cheaper room.

[gravida]

The package seems very low to what I've heard from friends... Well, it does not include a lot, just stay, doctors fees, basic care of the newborn.
How was it with OBGYN pregnancy package? Did you have to top up double?

Anyone of you have been PR/used Medisave to cover the costs? I've been surprised Ican use it to cover partially the costs, even in Mt. E. On the other hand, since I am paying every month the Medisave, why not to use it?

[mondaymorningquarterback]

My medisave managed to cover about 6k of the 10k hospital bill. Which OB you see has nothing to do with which hospital you choose because most OB will have a few hospital he works at. Our ob was at Mt E the package was about 1600 if i remember right. That only includes pre natal and post natal visits at his clinic.

[gravida]

Mondaymorningquarterback, thank you for your detailed answer. I've googled out the Mt E packages for labor and it's great news one can use Medisave to cover part of the costs.

[snowqueen]

I had my baby at Thomson last February. The cost of the hospital bill was $9,500 for a C-section. If I'd had a natural birth is would have been considerably cheaper. This cost included my OBGYN's fees to perform the C-section, the anesthetic costs, extra days stay for me and baby, who also had 2 days photo light therapy due to jaundice and an Anti D injection which was $600 (I'm O Neg). This bill also included my paed costs, bed and board for my husband for 2 nights and even the other bits they charge you for light sick bowels and panty liners

Thomson were great, as was my doctor (Dr Sim Lee Ngnor). She provided a maternity package which starts from your 12th week right up to birth and was around c$700. Before you have an amnio you can have an OSCAR scan first which will determine whether the amnio is necessary - you may not need it. This cost was about $400 I believe and I think included the cost of your 20 week detailed scan as I don't remember paying separately for this - I think it must have been a package.

I hope this helps. If there's anything else you need to know, just ask.

[gravida]

Snowqueen, thank you

[chikadilly]

Those 10K bills sound very outrageous to me. I delivered at NUH, had a private room at Ward 96 and a senior consultant gynae. Was a vaginal delivery without complications, but with epidural. The total bill was ~$4000, around half of it was covered by Medisave (I'm a PR).
I looked at MANY hospitals before settling for NUH, and none of them was as good (i.e. I found Thomson ugly and crowded). Considering bill sizes mentioned here, I am even more happy with my choice!

As for pregnancy costs, mine were as follows. For the first 20 weeks I paid ~$90 per consultation (3 or 4 consultations) and ~$350 for an OSCAR test (Down syndrome and other abnormalities). Then from 22 weeks I got the package (~$780), which covered the rest of the pregnancy consultations, one detailed scan (22w), one growth scan (32w), two CTGs and one postpartum visit.
I did not need an amnio, thus not sure how much that will cost. Many (most) delivery hospitals do it.

[AndyD]

We used Raffles, and I would say all in – including scans every few weeks from 12 weeks all the way through to delivery costs, including the very specific “how many wipes / cotton buds they used in the nursery”