practice news

Doctors of The Grange Family Medical Centre will be charging a fee for all regular
consultations. This includes consultations for pension and health care card holders less than 75 years of age.

Unfortunately, the costs of healthcare have significantly exceeded the Medicare rebate that the government provides.
As such we can no longer accept the Medicare rebate as the sole payment for your consult.

Please read this article by RACGP which describes the decline in bulk billing clinics in Australia.

We will continue to bulk bill:
· children under 16 years of age
· DVA patients
· Palliative care patients
· Nurse consults such as immunisations

Patients who are >75 years of age who hold a pension or heathcare card and have participated in a health assessment will be charged a private consult fee for
the first consultation of the year. Subsequent consultations for the remainder of the year will be bulk billed. This does not include skin checks which will still have a private charge.

Patients who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and hold a pension or healthcare card will be charged the first private consult for for the first consultation of the year. Subsequent consultations for the remainder of the year will be bulk billed. This does not include skin checks which will still have a private charge.

Patients who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Straight Islander and do not hold a pension or healthcare card will be charged the reduced rate per consultation.

You will be required to pay the full amount of the visit at the time of your consult and reception staff will transmit to
Medicare and your rebate should appear in your bank account within 24 hours.

We appreciate that some patients may feel that this is unfair. We agree that the current Medicare rebates for your
healthcare are unfair, but to continue to provide you with high quality healthcare we have been forced to charge a
higher fee than your Medicare rebate.

From Friday 15th March 2019 , our practice fees will be increasing.

Due to running costs of the practice exceeding Medicare increases, the following new fees are below.

We are conscious that some of our patients are unable to afford the fee; therefore we offer bulk billing to children under the age of 16, Pension/Concession Card Holders, DVA Card Holders

This change is required so that The Grange Family Medical Centre can continue to provide you and your family with high quality healthcare whilst also covering the ever increasing costs of running a business.

Your doctor will explain any additional costs to you and obtain your consent prior to any treatment received.

Fee Examples:

Please remember that it is not the reception staff that determine the billing. It is at the discretion of the Individual Doctor.