Free Maternaty Care
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=35911
Printed Date: 27 July 2025 at 5:27am
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Topic: Free Maternaty Care
Posted By: FosterCashew
Subject: Free Maternaty Care
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:28pm
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Hi all,
Last week my partner had pains in her stomach, hadn't felt the baby move in 5 hours was vomiting and had diarrhea, she collapsed in the bathroom and screamed for help, I took her to the local A&E. Without doing any tests other than listening to the babies heartbeat, the Dr said it was a "gastro bug" and wasnt pregnancy related gave her a maxilon? injection and charged us $75, they sent us home 30 minutes later even though my partner was still very sick she had to rush to the toilet at the drs to vomit some more before we left. My partner went to our GP the next day to have tests they came back negative to any gastro virus. I have read vomiting and diarrea was related to lactose during pregnancy? I am a bit pissed off as they didn't seem to look after her very well at all, it seemed like they were in a rush to go home as we turned up 5 minutes before they were due to close. I thought anything related to pregnancy was free? Can anyone confirm this? |
Replies:
Posted By: Renee & Lauren
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:31pm
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I think that is only at your local surgery and not after hours / emergency ------------- http://lilyslim.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:34pm
| Because the doc put it down to gastro rather than something purely pregnancy related they can charge you regardless of whether it was after hours or whatever. |
Posted By: FosterCashew
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:34pm
Even though the tests came back negative on the gastro? |
kebakat wrote:Posted By: FosterCashew
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:36pm
I had a quick read of this page http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/section88-maternity-notice-2007-feb07
What does non LMC mean? Urgent care seems to be covered... maybe I'm wrong |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:38pm
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The doc obviously doesnt believe its pregnancy related (whether thats right or wrong is another matter) therefore their paperwork side they have decided to charge instead of get the money from the govt for it being pregnancy related.
I've been stung by this myself in my first pregnancy. Thought something would be free but it wasnt |
Posted By: Renee & Lauren
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:39pm
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sorry I should say that I think it is only for local GP's as I never had to go to emergency unless I was referred from my GP so it was free anyway ------------- http://lilyslim.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Jacobsmumma
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:41pm
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Hi, oh no that sounds horrible. I hope she's ok now? Sorry I can't offer help re lactose possibly causing her illness. All of my medical visits were free when they were directly related to my pregnancy. I did have to pay once tho at a new clinic to have a problem checked out, even tho I was over 36 weeks preggers and was absolutely sure the prob was due to being preggers as I'd never experienced that before. Did you speak to your LMC, they might be able to shed some light? ------------- 
(9lbs 6ozs) 
(11lbs 4ozs) |
Posted By: fairy1
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:41pm
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My understanding is that maternity care is only free up until 14 weeks, that what my GP said and she wouldnt charge me if she didnt have to. She actually apologised that she had to charge me when I saw her for something at 26 weeks that was related to pregnancy.
AH clinic is free if it is pregnancy related and they wouldnt count gastro as pregnancy related. Unless you can prove that it was pregnancy related I doubt you can get your money back. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: fairy1
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:42pm
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non LMC means anyone that isnt your lead maternity carer. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: FosterCashew
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 7:58pm
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Thanks all for your input, she is ok now, this pregancy has been pretty rough so far, hopefully it gets better for us.
Its not really a biggie as we have insurance. The reason I asked was my friend had to take his mrs to the same A&E 4 times during the pregancy and wasn't charged once, I'm not sure what it was for though, they have since changed ownership. |
Posted By: MyLilSquishy
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 8:14pm
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also did you take her to an urgent doctors instead of A&E? (just coz ive never heard of an A&E closing lol) where abouts in the country are you? i know that down here in Dunedin i didnt pay for anything during my pregnancy... but then again my only doc/hospital visits were pregnancy related and reffered by my MW.
Sorry im not much help and glad she is better now! (also i had no problems during my pregnnacy with lactose/dairy so not sure sorry!) |
Posted By: FosterCashew
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 9:00pm
It was the local A&E it used to be called white cross |
Posted By: bext1
Date Posted: 24 September 2010 at 9:39pm
There is a White Cross in Henderson, and I went there when pregnant and got charged. 
My normal doctor used to be free for the first 14 weeks, after that my LMC was the one I had to see with any pregnancy issues and that is the 'Free Maternity care' But glad to hear your partner is OK now, and hope the next few weeks go more smoothly for her. It can be a hard road pregnancy!! ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: myonlineself
Date Posted: 25 September 2010 at 7:12pm
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I thought all pregnancy-related healthcare was free? I went to our local A&E (Whitecross) when I was about 30 weeks pregnant cause of major cramping pains that I was having (was nothing - just paranoid I guess) and I didn't get charged anything and even got them to write me out a repeat prescription for asthma inhalers while I was there, also at no charge. I've never heard of it only being up to 14 weeks ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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