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    What is a “model of care”?

    When you book into a maternity service, you will be placed in a maternity model of care.

    A maternity model of care is simply the way your pregnancy, birth and after-birth care are organised. It includes:

    • Who will look after you (midwives, doctors, GPs, or a team)
    • Where you will have your appointments
    • Who will support you during labour and birth
    • What care you will receive after your baby is born.

    Different hospitals and health services offer different models of care.

    For example, you may:

    • See the same midwife throughout your pregnancy
    • See a team of midwives
    • Share your care between your GP and the hospital
    • Receive care from an obstetrician if you have a higher-risk pregnancy or choose private care.

    Your maternity care can include extra supports

    Every maternity model provides the basic care you need for pregnancy, birth and the early weeks with your baby. However, some women and families may need extra support. These services can be accessed even if they are not a part of your standard maternity care. Where a service may not be available in your model of care or your maternity care service, they may be accessible privately with out-of-pocket costs attached. 

    Think of your maternity model of care as the centre of your support with other services wrapped around it to meet your individual needs.

    Additional supports may include:

    • Mental health support; mental health clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social worker, perinatal health service, alcohol and other drug workers, case workers
    • Doula support; arranged privately and work with you to build your confidence, support you and help you prepare for new parenthood
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander supports: Aboriginal Liaison Officers, Aboriginal Health workers, Koori Maternity Services, and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
    • Multicultural care workers; social workers, bi-cultural workers, interpreting services.

    Why this matters

    The model of care you use can affect:

    • continuity (how often you see the same maternity care provider)
    • place of birth (where you give birth)
    • costs (what you pay and what is covered)

    If your individual needs are met by your standard model of care, or if additional services are required to ensure your care meets your emotional, cultural, physical and practical needs. 

    Choosing a model of care

     

    Choosing a maternity model of care involves thinking about what matters most to you, such as continuity of care, cost, location and cultural support.

    You can discuss your preferences with your GP. They can help you to understand:

    • what models of care are available locally
    • what each model means for continuity and place of birth
    • any eligibility and costs that might be involved.

    Importantly, you can self-refer to your chosen maternity service if you have decided where you want to receive maternity care. 

    You have the right to ask for female-only care during pregnancy, labour, and birth in public or private hospitals. Health services should support this preference wherever possible.

    Health Direct can help you see which maternity services are closest to you, the care they offer and how to book in for their care.

    Maternity care in Australia | healthdirect

    Availability and eligibility

    Specific models of care may not be available everywhere and not everyone will be eligible.

    Health services apply eligibility criteria based on your:

    • preferences
    • location
    • if your pregnancy is considered low, medium or high risk
    • Medicare and health insurance status.

    Your maternity care provider can work with you to find a suitable model of care and ensure you receive safe care that is as close to home as possible.

    You may choose additional services to support you alongside your model of care.

    If your circumstances change during your pregnancy, your model of care or intended birthplace may need to change. Your maternity care provider will discuss this process with you. 

    Public and private care 

    Australians can access safe, high-quality maternity care through both public and private services. 

    Public and private maternity services follow the same safety and quality standards. The difference is not the quality of care, but how care is delivered, who provides it, where it happens and what it may cost.

    Public care 

    If you have a Medicare card, you will be able to access care at low or no cost through the public system.

    Some tests and scans in public care will have out-of-pocket costs.

    Learn more about public maternity models of care.

    Learn more

    Your Medicare card - Medicare | Services Australia

    If you do not have Medicare

    If you do not have a Medicare card, you can still access maternity care in Victoria, but costs will apply.

    You may wish to speak with a GP, maternity service or health insurer early in your pregnancy to understand your options and likely expenses. 

    If you are a refugee or seeking asylum, you can access free maternity and hospital care in Victorian public hospitals, even if you do not have Medicare.

    Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

    If you are an overseas student, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) can help you with meeting the costs of unplanned medical and hospital care while undertaking formal studies in Australia.

    Learn more

    Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) fact sheet | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

    Private care

    Private care allows you to choose your maternity care provider. This may include birthing in a private hospital, or at home with care from a private midwife. In private care models, you are responsible for any out-of-pocket costs for care you receive from your maternity care provider, any tests and ultrasounds, your hospital stay and other services (such as anaesthetics) as applicable. Some costs may be required upfront, discuss with your private health insurance provider what you are covered for.

    Learn more

    Private maternity models of care

    Private health insurance and pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby 

    If you do not have a Medicare card, you can still get maternity care. Public hospitals will charge for these services and may talk to you about payment options. Asylum seekers and refugees in Victoria can get free maternity and hospital care in public hospitals, even without a Medicare card.

    Public models of care

    Your care is provided by a hospital team. This can include a combination of midwives, nurses and doctors who work together to provide you with safe, high-quality pregnancy care. 

    This may suit you if you are happy to be cared for by a hospital team and want public hospital care.

    Your care is provided by a small team of midwives who work together to provide you with safe, high-quality pregnancy care, aiming for continuity where possible. 

    This may suit you if your pregnancy is low-risk and you are happy to see a small group of midwives.

    Your pregnancy and early post‑birth care is provided by a dedicated midwife. Having a dedicated midwife can help build a familiar and supportive relationship.

    Your midwife provides most antenatal appointments and home‑based postnatal visits and will work alongside doctors when needed.

    Birth care is provided by the hospital’s rostered birth‑suite midwives, not necessarily your MAPS midwife.
    MAPS is generally available to women with low‑to‑medium risk, uncomplicated pregnancies and can be requested at booking, subject to availability.

    This may suit you if seeing the same provider before and after birth feels important but you are happy to be cared for by any of the midwives rostered to birth suite when you give birth.

    Your pregnancy, birth and postnatal care is provided by a primary midwife who is supported by a team of group practice midwives. 

    This may suit you if seeing a midwife for more personalised care, building a strong relationship with your care provider or seeing the same care provider feels important to you. 

    Depending on the health service you are booked with, eligibility criteria may vary. 

    You receive pregnancy care from both your GP and your birthing hospital. Your GP works with the hospital team under a shared care agreement, and you’ll see midwives or doctors at the hospital for key appointments and your GP for others. 

    Shared care is usually an option for low‑risk pregnancies. Standard GP costs will apply.

    This may suit you if you’d like some appointments close to home with your GP, while the hospital provides care for other parts of your pregnancy. Your GP must be approved as a shared care provider with the hospital.

    Specialist obstetric teams provide care for medically complex pregnancies, often in health services with higher capabilities.

    This is recommended if your pregnancy needs extra monitoring, specialist input, or complex care. If your pregnancy becomes more high risk at any time, your booking hospital will arrange for you to change care models (this may also mean you need to change hospitals). You can still seek to see a midwife in addition to your care being managed by the specialist doctors. 

    Koori maternity services provide culturally safe, person-centred care for Aboriginal women or women having Aboriginal babies, and their families. 

    This includes:

    • Hospital-led Aboriginal Maternity Care - Care coordinated and delivered by public hospitals, including standard maternity care and continuity models such as MAPS. These models focus on clinical care across pregnancy, birth and postnatal periods, with varying levels of continuity and team‑based care.
    • Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation led (ACCHO) maternity care and/or Koori Maternity Services - Culturally safe, holistic and community‑controlled maternity care for Aboriginal women or women having Aboriginal babies, with strong links to family, culture and community.

    This may suit you if culturally safe care is important for you and your family.

    These maternity care models support women and families from diverse cultural, language and migration backgrounds. 

    These models offer:

    • interpreter services
    • bilingual health workers
    • culturally responsive education and care coordination. 

    Care is delivered within the public maternity system, often through hospitals that partner with community services.

    This model of care may suit you if you have recently arrived to Australia, have limited English or prefer to communicate in your chosen language. 

    This support model offers additional, specialist care for women experiencing mental health concerns during pregnancy and early parenthood, including complex mental health diagnoses, alcohol and other drug addiction and vulnerable women who are experiencing family violence. They offer extra support, assessment, flexibility and care coordination alongside your maternity care. 

    Perinatal mental health is an important part of Victoria’s mental health system; every hospital may offer a different service or program. Discuss with your maternity care provider about what additional support may be available to you. 

    This model of care may suit you if you have mental health concerns, including alcohol and other drug addcition or are experiencing family violence, homelessness or other complex social concerns. 

    Your care is provided through a mix of virtual and in‑person maternity services as part of Victoria’s publicly funded maternity system.

    Telehealth or virtual services support you during pregnancy and after birth. This can include phone or video appointments, remote monitoring, and online education, with face‑to‑face care provided when needed.

    This model may suit you if distance or transport make it harder to attend in‑person appointments.

    Some public hospitals offer publicly funded homebirth programs. Availability and eligibility varies by health service. 

    This model may suit you if you meet the public hospitals criteria for this care model and you’d prefer to give birth in your own home, supported by midwives from your booking hospital. 

    Learn more

    Homebirth | Better Health Channel

    Private models of care

    Care is provided by a private obstetrician of your choosing and you birth within a hospital offering maternity care. Some private obstetricians will have midwives that work within their team to provide aspects of your care as well. 

    This may suit you if choosing a specific obstetrician is important to you and you understand that there are some costs that won’t be covered by Medicare.

    A privately practising midwife provides all your care through your pregnancy, birth and after the birth. They predominantly offer homebirth services. 

    Most privately practising midwives cannot admit you if you need hospital care. However, some health services are starting to offer models of care that supports this. If you need to transfer to hospital at any point, your care may be handed over to the hospital maternity team.

    There are limited Medicare rebates and there will be out-of-pocket costs. 

    This option may suit you if you are comfortable with the costs and birthing at home with a midwife who has cared for you during pregnancy is a priority for you. 

    Cross sector models (mix of settings)

    Some people choose to be a private patient in a public hospital. This means you have a private obstetrician for pregnancy care and birth, then receive postnatal care as a public patient. 

    Your private health insurance covers the hospital stay, while the obstetrician charges separate out-of-pocket fees for their care. 

    Not all obstetricians offer this option. You can ask:

    • if they have private-in-public arrangements
    • which public hospitals they work with.

    This model may suit you if you want pregnancy and birth care from a private obstetrician in a public hospital, and you are comfortable checking costs, insurance cover and which hospitals your obstetrician works with.

    You may have some antenatal care with a GP or obstetrician and some with hospital services. 

    This may suit you if you want flexibility or you are moving between services.

    Planned homebirth

    A homebirth is a planned birth at home supported by a registered midwife. Homebirth services in Victoria are available through some public maternity services or through privately practicing midwives. 

    You may consider a homebirth if you would like to give birth in a familiar environment and with a midwife you have chosen who has provided you care during your pregnancy. If you are considering a homebirth, your maternity care provider can help you understand the benefits, considerations and whether it is a suitable option for your circumstances. 

    Each homebirth provider will have their own eligibility criteria and there are out-of-pocket costs associated with private midwifery care. If additional care is needed at any point during your pregnancy, labour or birth, your midwife may recommend transfer to hospital to ensure the safety of you and your baby. 

    For more information about homebirth and which hospitals offer a homebirth program, visit Homebirth | Better Health Channel 

    To find a privately practicing midwife, visit: Find Midwifery service by location | healthdirect

    Freebirth (unassisted birth)

    A freebirth is when a woman chooses to give birth without the support of an Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registered maternity care provider. 

    This is different from a planned homebirth, where a woman’s pregnancy care is provided by a registered midwife. 

    Freebirth is not recommended as it can carry serious risks for mothers and babies. This includes complications during pregnancy, labour and birth.

    Learn more

    Freebirth - Position statement | Safer Care Victoria

    More information

    Maternity models of care | Pregnancy Birth & Baby 

    Pregnancy and birth care options | Better Health Channel

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