Childbirth in Supplementary Health: Know Your Rights

Childbirth in Supplementary Health: Know Your Rights

Pregnancy is one of the most important moments in many women's lives, requiring special care and attention to ensure the best possible outcome for both pregnancy and birth. Therefore, if you plan to become pregnant, it's important to look for a health plan that includes obstetrics.

And all of this must be done in advance, after all, there are waiting periods to be met, prenatal care costs are high, and public care is still quite precarious.

According to the ANS (National Supplementary Health Agency), there are mandatory coverages that every provider must offer. Therefore, review your rights when purchasing a plan with obstetrics.

The plan's waiting period for obstetrics is long.

When you sign up for a health plan, you must complete a waiting period, during which you cannot use certain services until the established deadline. In other words, after signing the contract, you must wait a period of time for the service to become available.

Childbirth in Supplementary Health: Know Your Rights

For obstetrics plans, this is crucial to consider, as the waiting period is usually longer than the length of pregnancy. For example, the waiting period for childbirth is up to 300 days. Ideally, you should sign up for the plan and only become pregnant two months later, so all procedures are covered and the provider covers all medical expenses.

Additionally, coverage is available for the first 30 days of a baby's life. This means the baby receives all neonatal care under the mother's insurance plan, such as heel prick and eye tests.

And there's more! It's possible to include the baby as a dependent, but it's not automatic; you'll need to submit a request to your insurance provider. However, if you do so within 30 days of the baby's birth, the baby won't need to meet any waiting periods.

Partogram

A partogram is a chart used to monitor the progress of labor and the conditions of both mother and baby. This makes labor easier. childbirth, as it integrates the patient's medical records and allows you to monitor and document all the details of this process.

With this, through it it is possible to:

• Accurately analyze the progress of labor;
• Diagnose changes;
• Identify whether the process is occurring within standards or if there is a problem;
• Take the necessary measures and appropriate actions more efficiently and safely.

However, because each birth is unique and individual, the doctor may be unable to complete the partograph, or when a cesarean section is performed for clinical reasons. In these cases, the doctor must provide the provider with a report justifying the absence of the chart, which will be included in the patient's medical record.

Pregnancy Card

The Pregnant Woman's Card is also another right of the patient, which must contain all information about the pregnancy and the pregnant woman, as well as:

• Medications you use;
• If you have health problems (diabetes, hypertension);
• Exam results;
• Weight;
• Height;
• Other data.

This card is extremely important if a woman decides to change doctors, and especially during labor. During labor, doctors will have access to essential information about the pregnancy and what could influence the delivery.

Information Letter to Pregnant Women

The Pregnant Woman's Information Letter is an integral part of the Pregnancy Card and contains information about vaginal and cesarean births. This makes the choice easier, more informed, and safer.

Informed Consent Form for Caesarean Section

The patient has the right to decide how her birth will be. Therefore, if she chooses a cesarean section, she must sign a Free and Informed Consent Form, which contains information such as:

• Indications for cesarean section;
• Risks of cesarean section clearly;
• Full identification of the attending physician and his/her signature;
• Complete identification of the patient and their signature.
• Percentages of Cesarean Sections and Vaginal Births by Medical Establishment and Professional

According to the ANS, operators must report the percentages of cesarean sections and normal births per healthcare facility and per physician whenever the beneficiary requests it and within a maximum period of 15 days.

Additionally, you can view cesarean section rates by provider on the ANS website.

Companion

Every pregnant woman has the right to have a companion of her choice during labor, delivery, and the immediate postpartum period. Furthermore, the provider is responsible for covering expenses related to:

• Food provided by the service provider
• Basic fees required for the companion's stay – including those related to appropriate clothing for entering the operating room, delivery room or ICU.

Charging fees

The hospital plan with obstetrics covers:

• All hospital coverage;
• Hospital admission;
• Procedures related to prenatal care;
• Childbirth and postpartum care.

Therefore, all expenses related to medical fees required at these stages must be covered by your insurance company. Therefore, if any fee is charged, also known as a delivery availability fee, know that it is undue and, therefore, refuse it.

If you experience this charge, report the situation to your insurance company so they can take appropriate action and recommend another obstetrician who won't charge this amount. However, if they don't recommend a professional, you can file a complaint with the ANS.

Adequate Delivery

Parto Adequado (Adequate Birth) is a project that aims to identify new models of childbirth care, promoting natural birth and reducing the percentage of unindicated cesarean sections in supplemental healthcare. It was created by the ANS (National Health Service) in partnership with the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (HIAE), the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and the Ministry of Health.

Furthermore, it offers women and babies the right care, at the right time, throughout pregnancy, throughout labor and postpartum, considering the structure and preparation of the multidisciplinary team, evidence-based medicine and the sociocultural and emotional conditions of the pregnant woman and her family.

I have a hospital plan without obstetrics. What if there's an emergency?

Don't worry, even if your plan doesn't cover obstetrics, it does cover urgent and emergency care related to pregnancy. However, this only applies if the waiting period for hospitalization has already passed.

Otherwise, during the waiting period, coverage is limited to the first 12 hours of care. After this period, the patient has two options:

• Be transferred to a SUS unit;
• Stay in the private hospital, but pay all the costs of procedures performed after 12 noon.

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Childbirth in Supplementary Health: Know Your Rights