CONSULTATION FEES
In order to maintain our standards, Stratford Medical Centre have introduced private billing for pensioners, concession card holders and all children from the 1st July 2022.
GPs in Australia are not employed by the government, they are private doctors who run their own medical businesses. The Doctors need to charge a private fee in addition to the Medicare rebate (which is an insurance refund to the patient for medical care) as the Medicare rebate is insufficient to cover the costs of providing the service to you, the patient.
They, and the service support entity that charges a service fee to them, have overhead costs such as staff salaries, clinic maintenance, equipment, accreditation, cleaning, infrastructure, and administrative expenses. The Medicare rebate, which is a partial reimbursement from the government, does not fully cover these costs. Therefore, GPs charge a private fee to bridge the gap and sustain their businesses to take a bit more time to listen and provide quality care to patients.
As independent medical businesses, general practitioners set their own fees. The fee structure below is standard appointment fees for employed GP’s of Stratford Medical Centre. Please refer to your doctors independent web page for their fee structure.
Please talk to us if you feel you needing financial support. We encourage patients to use the Medicare Safety net and PBS medication safety net, and the use of the Chronic disease Care plan to reduce your costs annually. Please enrol with us when Voluntary Patient Registration is introduced, as this will reduce your costs of healthcare further by allowing you to access person-centred government funding packages (from 1 October 2023).
Why Is My GP Charging A Fee?
– Click here for the explanation –
| CONSULTATION | Practice Fees | Medicare Rebate | Out of Pocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief Consultation, 3 | $50.00 | $19.60 | $30.40 |
| Standard Consulation, 23 | $95.00 | $42.85 | $52.15 |
| Long Consulation, 36 | $165 | $82.90 | $82.10 |
| Extra Long Consulation, 44 | $250 | $122.15 | $127.85 |
* If you are a concession card holder you may discounted or bulk billed ,depending on Medicare item no and circumstances.
* Please note that all after hours and weekend sessions incur full standard fees and are not subject to the reduced concession rates.
| OTHER FEES | Description | OUT OF POCKET COST TO PATIENT | MEDICARE REBATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facility Fee | Depending on the materials used and taken at the time | $25 – $150 | No Rebate |
| Repeat Prescription without consultation | Terms and conditions apply | $20.00 | No Rebate |
Integrative consultations, Occupational or Aviation Medicals, and other non-Medicare rebateable consultations or reports are priced according to complexity.
Consultations are by appointment, but an emergency will be seen without appointment and triaged with our nurse.
FACILITY FEES
For Example:
- Biopsies, excisions and other surgical procedures
- ECG and spirometry
- Ear syringing
This is to help cover the cost of various items used during the procedure such as disposable surgical equipment, dressings, sutures, local anaesthetic and cryotherapy. The Doctor or the reception staff will be able to inform you if your visit will attract a facility fee.
NON-ATTENDANCE
Failure to attend an appointment without a minimum 8hrs notice will incur a non-attendance fee of $35 for a single appointment and $50 for extended bookings.
OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTS
All fees are to be paid on the date of service provided. Failure to pay accounts within 7 days will incur $35.00 administration fee. Emergency care will not be refused however the convenience of routine appointments will not be made available to those with outstanding accounts.