None of us like talk about fees or money.
The truth is that we are a business and have expenses and staff wages to pay just like any other. We are not a government organisation that has a seemingly unlimited purse.
Without fees, we simply cannot exist or provide the service we do.
At JJFP we strive to provide a holistic service of exceptional quality for you, your family and the local community. We could not provide such a service if we bulk-billed all our patients, without cutting corners, rushing consultations and reducing staffing and equipment.
We want to maintain the highest standard of care so we simply must charge a private fee. Medicare has made us believe medical services should be free, but we wouldn’t expect a free coffee and muffin at the local coffee shop!
We believe our fees are equitable and try to be fair. If you are having extreme difficulties financially, please speak to your doctor individually.
Consultation Fees – As at 1st August 2023
| Standard Consultation Face to Face / Telehealth | Private Student Concession | $84.50 (Rebate $41.20) $74.50 (Rebate $41.20) Bulk Bill |
| Long Consultation (Complex needs or > 20 minutes) | Private Student Concession | $124.50 (Rebate $79.70) $114.50 (Rebate $79.70) Bulk Bill |
| Prolonged Consultation (Very complex needs or > 40 minutes) | Private Student Concession | $164.50 (Rebate $117.40) $154.50 (Rebate $117.40) Bulk Bill |
Children <16 years old: Bulk Billed
DVA holders: Bulk Billed
Care Plans: Bulk Billed
Mental Health Care Plans: Bulk Billed
Excisions: We charge a gap payment for excisions. There is no more to pay. This fee is non-rebatable.
Gap Payment means the ‘pay-doctor’ Medicare cheque for the remainder of the costs are sent to you by post. It is your responsibility to forward this cheque to us to complete payment. If you fail to return your cheque you are then liable to pay the remainder of the account.
We use Gap Payment for excisions in an attempt to kept up-front payments to a minimum.
Telehealth appointments:
Telehealth (consultations via phone or video call) is available if you have attended the practice within the last 12 months.
If you have not visited the practice within the last 12 months, you may still be eligible for a telehealth consultation with a completely out of pocket fee of $80.00 with no rebate. Keep in mind that if we haven’t seen you in the last 12 months a telehealth may not be appropriate for some matters. You might be better suited to a face-to-face consultation.
If you aren’t on a pension or health care card telehealth appointments will incur a fee which is payable prior to the phone call. As per above fees.
Telehealth is generally not bulk billed.
If bulk billed, a consent form via sms or email must be acknowledged to avoid fees. You will receive this via AutoMed after you speak to the GP this needs to be promptly accepted to assign the bulk bill/ Medicare assignment to avoid a private charge.
Medicare Rebate
We are able to process your Medicare Claims electronically at the time of payment. To do this you will need an EFTPOS card and pin or bank details.
The rebate will be processed into your account usually moments after processing.
Insurance and Medical Reports
Medicare will not cover private medical reports, insurance medicals, commercial drivers license medicals etc.
There will be a private fee for such consultations. Please ask your Doctor or Reception.
Special Services
There are some special services for which Medicare will not (or no longer) provides a rebate. For these services there will be a non-rebatable private fee irrespective if you hold a concession card.
These services include joint injections, IV fluid administration, some dressings, and some vaccinations. Vasectomies attract a private fee irrespective of pension card status.
Requests for Prescriptions and Referral Letters
We recognise that an appointment is not always necessary for an emergency prescription. Due to our profession responsibility, we can only provide scripts for some items and sometimes in reduced quantities without an appointment.
Please consider that our Doctors are busy and the numerous scripts asked of them do take time to complete. As such we ask that any requests be collected the following day if at all possible.
Unfortunately the demand for prescriptions and referral letters without an appointment has become overwhelming.
We have been forced to charge a fee for this service. There is no medicare rebate for this service.
Prescriptions: $5.00
Referral letters / other paperwork: $10.00
So please remember to ask for all prescriptions during your consultation to avoid these extra fees.
Medicare Safety Net
Do you or your family have a lot of out-of-pocket costs for your visits to your GP, Specialists, X-rays or pathology?
Once you reach the safety net threshold, Medicare will pay the Medicare rebate PLUS an additional 80% benefit.
To be eligible you must register your family.
See our staff or visit: http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/Factsheet-ExtendedMedicareSafetyNet_Aug2014
PLEASE NOTE: ALL OWED FEES ARE PAYABLE AT THE TIME OF THE CONSULTATION / SERVICE. INVOICES CAN ONLY BE ISSUED UNDER EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND WILL INCUR AN EXTRA ADMINISTRATIVE FEE.