PRACTICE FEES EXPLAINED

Question: Are you a private or bulk billing Practice?
Answer: Tandem Health Labrador Medical Centre is primarily a private Practice with accounts paid at the time of consultation.

Question: Do you bulk bill at all?
Answer: Yes, bulk billing is available to Age Pension Card holders, Veterans' Affairs Gold Card holders, children aged 18 years and under and Commonwealth Seniors Card holders. All other patients should expect to pay a private fee.

Question: I’m a private paying patient, however my Doctor occasionally bulk bills my consultation, does this mean I will be bulk billed for future consultations?
Answer: Not generally. From time to time the Doctor may choose to bulk bill a consultation for a private patient.

Question: I’ve been seeing the same Doctor for many years and the Doctor generally bulk bills me, will I be bulk billed by all other Doctors at the Practice?
Answer:  Your usual Doctor may have decided they are happy to bulk bill you. However, Doctors working within our Practice may choose to charge a private patient the private fee. Therefore, if you book with someone other than your usual Doctor, please expect to pay a private fee for the consultation (unless you hold a DVA Gold Card, Age Pension Card, Commonwealth Seniors Card or the consultation is for a child aged 18 years and under). 

Question: If I come back to see the Doctor to discuss results, will I be bulk billed?
Answer: Sometimes, however not as a general rule. Reception staff are unable to guarantee bulk billing for results or any other type of appointment unless you hold one of the cards mentioned above.  From March 2020 bulk billed telephone consultations are available to all patients of the Practice who hold a current Medicare card and who have had a face to face consultation with a Doctor at the Practice within the last 12 months.  

Question: Why do consultations before 8am attract higher fees?
Answer: Consultations before 8:00am attract a slightly higher fee as determined by the Medicare schedule of fees. This type of consult is considered by Medicare to have taken place after hours. Rebates are usually also higher for before 8am consultations. Please speak with Reception for further explanation.

Question: Can you claim my rebate for me electronically?
Answer: Yes, for your convenience we participate in the Medicare online claiming service, allowing rebates to be received quickly without a visit to a Medicare branch. Rebates are fairly generous and the out of pocket expense is not large. Our staff can provide information about rebate amounts.

Question: Can you issue me an account that I can pay later?
Answer: On rare occasions management may approve an account to be issued, for full payment within an agreed timeframe. However generally accounts are required to be paid at the time of consultation.

Question: How are your fees determined?
Answer: In most cases, consultation fees correlate with the time spent with the Doctor. Procedural consultations may attract additional fees depending on the nature of the procedure and the associated Medicare item number. There are certain types of consultations that do not attract a Medicare rebate. For a comprehensive list of fees and more information, please contact the Surgery.