Booked for surgery or a day procedure? Read the pre-admission instructions.
A GP referral is valid for 12 months from the date of your first appointment. A referral from another specialist is valid for three months.
If your referral expires part-way through a course of care, reception will let you know so you can ask your GP for a new one. Without a valid referral, no Medicare rebate can be claimed and the full fee applies.
Referrals can be sent by your GP or brought with you.
Fees vary depending on the type of consultation and whether any procedures are carried out in the rooms on the day. Reception will confirm the expected cost with you when your appointment is made, so you know what to expect before you attend.
With a valid referral from your GP or another specialist, a Medicare rebate applies to consultations and to most in-rooms procedures. Payment is due on the day and the rebate is usually processed on the spot.
Private health insurance does not generally cover outpatient care — that is, appointments and procedures in the rooms. This is a Medicare rule rather than a decision of your fund, and it applies regardless of your level of cover.
Inpatient care is different. Admissions for birth or for gynaecological surgery attract benefits from your health fund alongside the Medicare rebate, and you will receive an estimate beforehand setting out the fee, both rebates and your expected out-of-pocket amount.
If you have private health cover, call your fund before booking a hospital and ask about cover tier, waiting period and excess. If you do not have cover, the last note below is for you. Reception can give you the item numbers you will need.
Before any procedure, operation or pregnancy care package, you will receive a written estimate setting out the fee, the Medicare rebate, any health fund benefit and your expected out-of-pocket amount. Informed financial consent for a procedure is always provided in writing.
The estimate also names the other doctors involved — anaesthetist, surgical assistant, and pathology or radiology providers. These practitioners bill separately, and their fees need to be discussed with each of them directly. You are asked to sign the estimate to confirm you understand the costs before care proceeds.
If your circumstances make a fee difficult, please raise it with reception. Alternatives, including care in the public system, can be discussed without awkwardness.