The practice offers electronic claiming, allowing you to lodge your Medicare claim when you pay your account and saving you the hassle of filling in forms. Accordingly we would greatly appreciate you settling your bill at the time of service, however, an account facility is available at an additional charge of $10.00 per service. Delays in settling an account will incur further charges. All patients over 65 years of age as well as Veterans’ Affairs gold cardholders and Aged Pensioners will be bulk billed on presentation of a valid card.
Should there be any difficulty with settling your account, please discuss this with either the doctor or secretary. We will make every effort to accommodate exceptional circumstances both courteously and discreetly. A $20.00 fee may apply to requests for services by telephone if they are independent of a consultation. This may include repeat prescriptions or referrals to a specialist, for example. This fee may be waived at the discretion of practitioners or staff, depending on the individual circumstances of your request. In many cases you may be able to arrange a telehealth consultation to obtain these services at a bulk-billed rate.
You have thirty days to settle your account in full, regardless of whether you have received a cheque from Medicare. Please talk to us if this will cause you difficulty. You should be aware that patients who are bad debtors will no longer be accorded account privileges, regardless of whether they eventually pay back their debt.
Cancellation policy
A cancellation fee may be charged if you fail to attend your appointment. Please telephone us at least two hours before your appointment if you are unable to attend to allow us to offer your time slot to somebody else. We will send you a text message the evening before your appointment as a reminder. You may cancel or reschedule your appointment at this time if you wish.
Surgical Procedures
Fees for surgical procedures vary with complexity and are detailed here. These procedures also require the use of a variety of sterile instruments, local anaesthetic, and suture material, and an additional surgical fee of $35.00 payable in cash at the time of services is levied for such procedures. If you have your surgery at EWHS in the urgent care minor ops theatre, this surgical fee will be returned to the hospital.
Do not be alarmed if your account for a procedure seems excessive. Medicare rebates on some procedures are quite high, often several hundred dollars, but you will receive reimbursement for all except the surgical fees detailed above. Take your account to Medicare first.
Specialist referrals
Sometimes your Doctor will decide to refer you to another practitioner. When you call the specialist be sure to ask about his or her billing arrangements and whether bulk-billing is available to certain groups of patients. Some specialists charge 50% of the fee if you fail to attend for your appointment. 48 hours notice is required if you wish to cancel.
There may also be extra charges if the doctor refers you for a procedure (e.g. an x-ray or ultrasound) at another hospital or private facility. Be sure to ask about these when you are making your appointment.
WorkCover and Transport Accident Claims
The fee for TAC and WorkCover claims will be charged to you and you will be provided with a receipt as evidence of your payment. It is your responsibility to submit your receipt to your employer or your insurer for reimbursement.