Fees & Billing
The standard fee charged in this office is the Australian Medical Association recommended fee. This means that in most instances there will be a part of your consultation and surgical fee that will not be covered by Medicare and your health fund. If there is any problem with this it is important that you ask about this gap. Our staff are fully informed with charges and rebates and will be able to help you navigate your way through this area of your procedure.
Acceptable means of payment?
Fees for Surgery will be reviewed with you following your consultation visit. Payment at the time of the consultation is appreciated.
Bank cheques, personal cheques, cash or credit cards (MasterCard, VISA & AMEX) are acceptable means of payment.
Do I need to have private health insurance?
If you need to have surgery Private Health insurance is recommended. It allows you and your family to access the right health services at the right time. You have control of your health care and can choose the provider, facility and timing of your treatment.
Mr. Milne also works out of RMH and BRHS public hospitals where he can refer patients to be placed on the waiting list.
Medical Fees / Surgery Out-of-Pocket Costs
Medicare rebates today do not cover the full cost of providing you with medical care. This is because the rate at which successive governments have indexed Medicare Schedule fees has been substantially lower than increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Average Weekly Earnings.
In 2014 -2015 budget the government put a freeze on Medicare rebates. This freeze will not be lifted until July 2018.
The reality is that Medicare rebates do not cover the cost of providing you with a safe and high quality service. The fees charged by this practice have to cover all of our practice costs including employing receptionists, practice nurses and meeting our operating expenses such as rent, medical equipment, computers and insurance.
For these reasons, our practice does not bulk bill patients and you will need to pay a gap for your consultations and surgery. Our practice charges at the Australian Medical Association recommended fee however even if you have private health insurance, you may still be out of pocket.
Quotes will be provided to you accordingly prior to your procedure.
If you have any questions about your fees, please do not hesitate to contact our office on (03) 9509-9055.