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Medical Fees |
Ours is a private billing Practice.
This helps us maintain our high standards.
Unfortunately the Medicare rebate has not kept pace with practice costs. More recently Medical Indemnity costs have dramatically increased putting further pressure on our practice costs.
As you will have read over and over again the government has steadfastly refused to increase the Medicare rebate to reflect General Practice costs. This is despite a major government endorsed study, which recommended back in 2000 that doctors would need to charge well over the medicare rebate per consultation to run their practice and the AMA (Australian Medical association) recommending a fee of $58.00 per consultation.
We try to keep our fee increases to a minimum.
The usual fee for a 15-minute appointment is $55.00 with a Medicare rebate of $33.55
Discounts are available for those with pension cards or health care cards
Higher fees and rebates will apply for longer consultations and procedures.
A complete list of our fees and Medicare rebates are available at reception if required.
In June 2004 the Federal Government provided an incentive to direct bill or bulk bill Pensioners, Senior Health Card Holders, Children under the age of 16 and Health Care Cared Holders. This incentive is in the form of a $8.00 payment to the Doctor for each item that is bulk billed. This incentive is in addition to the Medicare rebate of $33.55. This payment is the first substantial attempt at addressing the growing disparity between Medicare rebates and practice costs.
Unfortunately the payment is not indexed against practice costs. Never the less Lennox Head Medical Centre has decided where possible we will bulk bill Pensioners while other eligible patients may be direct billed from time to time.
This billing will apply only to shorter consultations and consultations within normal hours on weekdays. Our normal fees will apply outside this time.
The decision on the fee for your visit is at the discretion of your treating Doctor.
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