Fees and Billing
From Monday 6th February 2023, we will be introducing an out of pocket fee for some patients for routine consultations. In order to minimise the impact of this change, we will continue to bulk bill (i.e. not charge) GP consultations for:
- All children under 16 years of age*
- All patients 70 years of age and over*
- Patients with a Centrelink Concession Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card
- Veterans with a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) white or gold card
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients*
- Specific services such as chronic disease care plans, mental health care plans and health assessments
- Any patient with a current Covid infection
- Mandatory drivers license medicals for private grade licenses (please note commercial drivers medicals incur a fee and don’t have a medicare rebate)
We will be privately charging a minority of our patients who don’t fit the above criteria. If you fall into this category and are under severe financial strain, please speak with your doctor.
Please note that all new patients will be charged the full private fee for their first visit.
*Must hold a valid Medicare card
Frequently asked questions
The amount Medicare pays for each appointment does not cover the costs of running a medical practice. These costs include staff wages, medical and IT equipment, rent and utilities all of which have increased significantly over the last few years.
The introduction of mixed billing will help keep the practice sustainable in the long run.
Like most GPs, most of our doctors work as independent contractors, and they pay the practice a service fee. The practice relies on the service fees from doctors for the majority of its income which is then used to pay staff (e.g. receptionists, nurses), rent, medical equipment, building costs, utilities, computers etc.
We will continue to bulk bill all consultations for the following patients who hold a Medicare card:
- All children 16 years of age and under
- All patients 70 years of age and over
- Patients with a Centrelink Concession Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card
- Veterans with a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) white or gold card
- Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander patients
Additionally, we will continue to bulk bill the following types of consultations for all patients, regardless of age:
- GP management plans (also known as Care plans)
- GP management plan reviews (Care plan review)
- GP Mental health care plans
- GP Mental health care plan reviews
- Health assessments
No, children over 16 will be charged the usual fee unless they hold a valid concession card.
For children under 16, the federal government pays a ‘bulk billing incentive’ which is an extra payment on top of the standard Medicare fee. This extra funding will allow us to bulk bill children under 16 years of age.
A GP Management plan (commonly known as a Care plan) is a plan of action for people with chronic and complex care needs. Common conditions which may require a care plan include but are not limited to:
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Severe asthma and lung disease
- Thyroid disease
- Autoimmune conditions (eg. Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease)
- Other medical conditions requiring regular visits with the GP and multiple specialists
If you’re unsure that you are eligible for a care plan, please speak with your doctor.
Care plan appointments are for people with chronic and complex conditions. New care plans should be done every 1-2 years and typically take 30-45 minutes and include a nurse and a doctor (and sometimes a clinical pharmacist). They involve setting health goals, and planning tasks (e.g. Pathology tests, specialist and allied health reviews, attending to preventative health checks). These appointments can also be used to organise routine care including referrals and scripts.
Care plan review appointments give an opportunity for you and your doctor to check that your chronic health condition is being managed well and your health goals are being met. They can also be used to organise routine care including scripts and referrals. Care plan reviews can only be done once every 3 months.
Care plans and care plan review appointments will be bulk billed for all patients, if eligible.
A mental health care plan is an agreed plan of action with you and your GP to manage a mental health condition your GP or other mental health professional has diagnosed. If you have a valid mental health care plan, you can access Medicare rebated psychology visits.
These GP visits will be bulk billed and typically take 30-45 minutes. A mental health care plan review is a planned appointment which can be used to access further Medicare rebated psychology visits.
No, appointments with nurses alone do not incur an out-of-pocket fee. Examples of nurse only consultations include:
- Vaccination administration
- Simple wound dressings
- Routine removal of sutures
- Routine administration of injections (eg. B12, Prolia,immunotherapy, other medications)
Yes, procedures including skin excisions and iron infusions will incur a private fee for all patients.
GP Consultations
The following fees will be introduced from 6th February 2023 for patients ineligible for bulk billing. They also apply to all new patients for their first visit (subsequent consultations will be charged depending on their eligibility for bulk billing).
Type of consultation | Fee | Medicare rebate | Out of pocket cost |
---|---|---|---|
Face to face and telehealth standard consultation | $78 | $39.75 | $38.25 |
Face to face and telehealth long consultation | $125 | $76.95 | $48.05 |
Face to face and telehealth prolonged consultation | $170 | $113.30 | $56.70 |
Chronic disease management plans | Bulk billed | ||
Mental health care plans | Bulk billed | ||
45-49 year old health assessments | Bulk billed | ||
Cardiovascular health assessment | Bulk billed |
Procedures
The following fees apply to all patients.
Procedure | Fee | Medicare rebate | Out of pocket cost |
---|---|---|---|
Skin biopsy | $66 | $46.95 | $19.05 |
Skin lesion excision | Variable (up to $200) | Variable | $50 |
Repair of wound with sutures | Variable (up to $130) | Variable | $50 |
Iron infusion | $120 | No rebate | $120 |
Implanon insertion | $90 | $32.05 | $57.95 |
Implanon removal | $100 | $54.60 | $45.40 |
Wound dressings (ongoing) | $25 | $18.20 | $6.80 |
Allied Health
Type of consultation | Fee | Medicare rebate |
---|---|---|
Podiatrist initial consultation | $90 ($80**) | $52.95* |
Podiatrist subsequent consultation | $80 ($70**) | $52.95* |
*Medicare rebatable for patients who have an EPC referral
**Cost for Pension Card or Health Care Card holders
Cancellation policy
Please note that all appointments, including telehealth, must be rescheduled or cancelled prior to the booked time. Missed appointments will incur a $50 charge, which may need to be paid prior to making another booking.