Fees and Policies
Appointments
Booking an Appointments – To minimize waiting times, our practice operates on an appointment-based system. You can schedule an appointment by either calling us at 07 3341 2022 or booking online through the HotDoc platform. Our standard appointment slot is 15 minutes. However, if you have a complex issue or multiple concerns to discuss, we kindly ask that you arrange for a longer appointment.
New Patients – New patients attending our practice for the first time will required to schedule a long appointment for the initial visit with our doctors. Kindly complete your New Patient Registration Form and arrive 15 minutes earlier so that a nurse can gather a brief medical history.
Transfer of Medical Records – If you are transferring from another practice, we kindly request your authorisation for the transfer of your medical records by completing the Request for Medical Records Transfer form.
Telehealth Appointments – Telehealth appointments are available to patients who have previously attended the practice in the preceding 12 months period.
Worker’s Compensation/Insurance Medical – If your consultation relates to worker’s compensation/insurance medical issues, it is necessary for you to notify your employer prior to the consultation. Please provide us with your employer’s contact details, including relevant claim number, case manager’s name and their contact information. This information is required for verification purposes and to facilitate payment arrangement through Workcover or the relevant Insurance Company.
Fees
Rochedale Family Practice is a MIXED BILLING PRACTICE. This means that some patients are required to pay a ‘Gap payment’ or an ‘Out of Pocket payment’ for appointments, which is the difference between the practice’s fee and the Medicare rebate.
BULK BILLING POLICY
Our practice bulk bills the following patients and services during WEEKDAYS ONLY. Please note that ALL SATURDAY APPOINTMENTS are PRIVATELY BILLED.
- Children under the age of 16
- Patients with valid Pension Card, Concession Card, Health Care Card or DVA Card
- Health Assessments (subject to eligibility) for patients
- Domiciliary Medication Management Review
- Chronic Disease Management Plan and Review of Chronic Disease Management Plan
- GP Mental Health Treatment Plan & Review of GP Mental Health Treatment Plan
- Influenza Vaccinations
PRIVATE BILLING POLICY
Private Consultation Fees apply to patients who do not fall under the above category of those eligible for bulk billing.
GP CONSULTATIONS APPOINTMENTS
| Consultation (Face to Face) | Time | Fee | MBS Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Short Consultation | <6 mins | $45.00 | $18.95 | $26.05 |
| Standard Consultation | <20 mins | $75.00 | $41.40 | $33.60 |
| Long Consultation | >20 mins | $115.00 | $80.10 | $34.90 |
| Prolonged Consultation | >40 mins | $155.00 | $118.00 | $37.00 |
| Comprehensive Consultation | >60 mins | $230.00 | $191.20 | $38.80 |
| Mental Health Consultation | >20 mins | $115.00 | $78.95 | $36.45 |
| Telehealth (Phone/Video) | ||||
| Phone – Short | <6 mins | $45.00 | $18.95 | $26.05 |
| Phone – Standard | <20 mins | $75.00 | $41.40 | $33.60 |
| Telehealth (Video) | ||||
| Video – Long | >20 mins | $115.00 | $80.10 | $34.90 |
| Video – Prolonged | >40 mins | $155.00 | $118.00 | $37.00 |
MyMedicare patients will have access to longer MBS funded Telehealth Consultations:
| Telehealth (Phone) | Time | Fee | MBS Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Phone – Long | >20mins | $115.00 | $80.10 | $34.90 |
| Phone – Prolonged | >40 mins | $155.00 | $117.40 | $37.60 |
| Telehealth (Video) | ||||
| Video – Comprehensive | >60 mins | $230.00 | $191.20 | $38.80 |
DNA/Cancellation Fee
We understand that unforeseen circumstances may require the cancellation of an appointment. In such instances, we kindly request that scheduled appointments be cancelled with a minimum of 2 hours’ notice. This ensures that our medical practitioners can effectively cater to your needs and those of other patients. When a patient fails to attend a scheduled appointment, it means that other patients are unable to receive timely care.
It is crucial that you notify us of your cancellation to avoid the $30 Cancellation Fee which will be required to be settled before booking any subsequent appointments.
PROCEDURES
- Initial Consultations: Ensure you’ve had an initial consultation with your doctor to discuss the procedure and the fees associated with it.
- Treatment Room (TR) Fee: Various procedures may incur a Treatment Room Fee. This fee covers nursing support and consumables.
- Procedure fees are estimates only and may vary depending on the complexity of the procedure and the time required by the GP.
Procedure Fees apply to patients who do not fall under the above category of those eligible for bulk billing:
| Diagnostic Procedure | Fee | MBS Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Pregnancy Test | $8.65 | $8.65 | NIL |
| Electrocardiogram (ECG) | $30.00 | $17.25 | $12.75 |
| Spirometry – Diagnostic | $50.00 | $38.55 | $11.45 |
| Spirometry – Monitoring | $50.00 | $19.30 | $30.70 |
| Skin Checks and Skin Procedures | Fee | MBS Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Full Skin Checks | $115.00 | $80.10 | $34.90 |
| Cryotherapy | $37.00 | $37.00 | NIL |
| Biopsy x 1 | $90.00 (Incl. $30 TR Fee) | $48.90 | $41.10 |
| Biopsy x 2 | $120.00 (Incl. $30 TR Fee) | $73.35 | $46.65 |
| Biopsy x 3 | $135.00 (Incl. $30 TR Fee) | $85.60 | $49.40 |
| Surgical Excision | TBA | Variable | <$150 |
Procedure Fees apply to ALL Patients:
| Implanon | Fee | MBS Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Insertion | $120.00 (Incl. $30 TR Fee) | $33.35 | $86.65 |
| Removal | $120.00 (Incl. $30 TR Fee) | $56.85 | $63.15 |
| Removal & Insertion | $180.00 (Incl. $30 TR Fee | $90.20 | $89.80 |
| Iron Infusion | Fee | MBS Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Procedure | $195.00 (Incl. $30 TR Fee) | $80.10 | $114.90 |
| Venesection | Fee | MBS Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Procedure | $150.00 (Incl. $30 TR Fee) | $68.30 | $81.70 |
Payment and Medicare Rebate
At the time of your appointment, we kindly request payment for your consultation. We accept cash, credit, and debit cards.
Please be advised that we apply a surcharge to all our card transactions. These surcharges are calculated to cover the cost of processing these card transactions. We are committed to only passing on the cost of the card transaction, in line with the RBA rules.
Following payment, we can assist you in claiming your rebate. This can be done using our CBA Smart Health Terminal along with a debit card (please be aware that credit cards are not suitable for this process). Alternatively, we can submit your rebate claim to Medicare for online assessment. This typically results in a deposit to your Medicare linked bank account within 48 hours. It is important to note that certain item numbers for less common procedures and appointments may not be eligible for instant rebate processing.
Cancellation Policy
We understand that unforeseen circumstances may require the cancellation of an appointment. In such instances, we kindly request that scheduled appointments be cancelled with a minimum of 2 hours’ notice. This ensures that our medical practitioners can effectively cater to your needs and those of other patients. When a patient fails to attend a scheduled appointment, it means that other patients are unable to receive timely care.
It is crucial that you notify us of your cancellation to avoid the $30 Cancellation Fee which will be required to be settled before booking any subsequent appointments.
Home Visits
Typically, we recommend that patients come to our practice as we have all the necessary equipment available on-site. However, we understand that this may not always be feasible. For our regular patients who reside within the local area, we may be able to accommodate house call requests at the doctor’s discretion.
After Hour Services
In case of a medical emergency, please dial 000 or proceed to the nearest emergency department. For non-emergency medical needs outside of our regular operating hours, we recommend contacting the National Home Doctor Service at 13 74 25. They provide after-hour medical care and can assist you with your medical concerns.
Prescriptions
To ensure appropriate monitoring of your health and the medical condition for which the prescription is being written, a consultation with your doctor is generally required for prescription requests.
In some exceptional circumstances, if you have previously been seen by our doctor within the last 3 months and the medication was previously prescribed at our practice, your doctor may consider issuing a repeat prescription without consultation. However, please note that this service will incur a $30 fee to cover administrative costs and the doctor’s time spent reviewing your medical records. This service is not eligible for Medicare rebate.
We kindly request that you manage your scripts responsibly and avoid running out at the last minute. Please be aware that our practice does not prescribe narcotics or drugs of addiction for your safety.
Referrals
A consultation is required for all referrals so we can properly monitor your health and meet our ethical and legal responsibilities. Writing a comprehensive referral takes time which is why a consultation is required. This enables your doctor to compile an up-to-date medical history and other information about your condition which will help you get the most out of your appointment with the specialist.
A referral is a legal document that enables you to claim benefits from Medicare, so it is important that you obtain your referral before your specialist appointment. Please ensure that your referral is organised well before your specialist appointment as it is difficult to facilitate last-minute requests.
Test Results
Our practice values the privacy of our patients and recognizes the significance of their test results. We have a policy in place to ensure that patients receive their results promptly, with a clear follow-up plan when necessary.
We will only contact you if a test result requires further action. However, we encourage you to call us to confirm that we have received your normal test results.
Reminders
Our practice is committed to preventative health care. We, therefore, use a reminder system for alerting patients to upcoming or overdue care activities (such as Management Plan Reviews, Diabetes Reviews, Cervical Screening, and so on). We use HotDoc to send electronic reminders to patients’ phones, but we may also send reminders by letter or phone call. If you do not wish to participate in our reminder system, please let our reception staff know.
Interpreting and Translating Services
Our doctors have access to free interpreting services delivered by TIS National for patients who has a Medicare card. If you are a non-English speaker and require help in communicating, please contact us so we can pre-book a phone/on-site interpreting service prior to your appointment.
Privacy Policy
Our practice is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your personal health information. It is the policy of this practice to maintain the security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorized personnel.
Our practice may use patient health information to assist in improving the quality of care we give to all our patients, by reviewing the treatments used in the practice.
Feedback
At times, patients may express dissatisfaction with our services, and it is an inevitable occurrence. However, we value their feedback as it helps us identify areas of improvement and strive for better service outcomes.
We welcome any suggestions, ideas, or complaints and encourage patients to voice them by speaking to any of our staff or writing to us.
For patients who wish to escalate their concerns, the Queensland Health Quality and Complaints Commission is situated at Level 17, 53 Albert Street, Brisbane QLD 4000. They can be contacted on 07 3120 5999.
