Fees / Requests

As of the 1st of December 2022, we will have a new billing policy that you need to be aware of.

For the past 40 years we have tried our best to keep our consultation fees as low as possible for the sake of our community, however, with the increasing costs of running a practice, and very little increase in Medicare rebates, it is simply no longer viable or sustainable for us to continue running the clinic unless we raise our prices and change the way we bill our patients. 

Carlton Medical Centre is a private practice, and while we may have bulk-billed you in the past, please do not expect that this will necessarily continue to be the case. In most cases, we will bulk-bill patients who have a current Pensioner Concession Card, however this is at the doctor’s discretion. Health Care Card holders will not be bulk-billed, but will be offered a reduced fee. 

Regardless of how you may have been billed (or bulk-billed) in the past, if you do not qualify to be bulk-billed, you may not be anymore. Please expect to pay an out of pocket cost on the day of your appointment.

In order for us to continue to operate and serve our patients, the following fees will be charged for all face-to-face, telephone and video consultations. The billing policy applies to all consultations including Mental Health Care Plans and reviews.  Please note that on Saturdays patients are not bulk-billed and there is an additional $10 fee for all consultations.

Please be aware that any procedures will attract a separate/additional surgical fee and you should discuss this with your treating doctor.

Medicare Online enables us to submit your Medicare claim at the time of your appointment and your Medicare rebate will be paid into your bank account overnight. Bulk billing may also be available if there are difficult financial circumstances. Please discuss these matters with your doctor.

Workcover accounts will be billed directly to your insurance company, but only if you provide us with a claim number. For a new Workcover claim or where the insurance company has not yet accepted liability you will be responsible for payment of the account.

Fees for Non Attendance or Late Cancellation

You will be sent an account if you to fail to attend your appointment or if you fail to cancel your appointment at least 2 hours prior to appointment time.

Referrals/ Requests:

Telephone requests for repeat prescriptions will only be written at your doctor’s discretion. We require at least 24 hours notice be given for a script to be available. You may be charged $5-10 for repeat scripts. New referrals to specialists will always require a consultation.

Credit card collection when booking appointments

In order to streamline our billing processes, in 2024 we will begin collecting patients credit card details when they book an appointment. When you book an appointment, either online or via reception, you will be sent a link to your mobile which you can click on and enter your banking details. This process is commonly used in the hospitality industry and in many other medical centres in Australia, so the method is tried and trusted.

Your credit card details will not be visible to AutoMed (the booking website) or to our staff, it will be stored with Tyro which is the banking service we use for all payments to the clinic. It is safe and secure and means that after your consultations, rather than reception having to ring you to collect payment if you had a phone appointment, the amount will be deducted from your chosen account. We will still be able to process your rebate through to Medicare.

When you follow the link that will be sent to your phone and add your credit card details, $1.00 will be taken out of your account and immediately refunded, to test that the card works. Carlton Medical Centre will never take money from your account, unless it is after a consultation.

You will be able to elect whether or not you want Tyro to save your credit card details for future consultations, or if you would like to enter it manually each time.

MyMedicare

MyMedicare is a free Government initiative which allows patients who have registered with a specific clinic, to have Medicare-rebated long phone consultations.

The doctors who work at CMC try their best to give patients the time they require for telehealth consultations but until now, they have not been remunerated for the lengthy phone-calls they often provide.

By registering for MyMedicare and selecting your regular doctor, you will be entitled to the long phone consultation rebates, which means the doctors will be properly paid for their time as well.

If you choose not to register for MyMedicare, the doctors will be in a position where they either may not be able to offer you long telehealth consults or if they do, they will start charging for the long consultation ($140.00), but the Medicare rebate will only be the standard $41.40, rather than the MyMedicare rebate which is $80.10. This means you will be out of pocket approximately $100, rather than $60.

Please note that if you change doctors in the future you can always change your My Medicare selection, you are not locked in. The easiest way to register is via the Medicare Express app (on a smartphone) or via the MyGov website.

Please see the videos regarding registration in the links below:

Via the Medicare App: https://vimeo.com/870139046/29ac4904a8?share=copy

Via my.gov.au (on your smartphone, iPad, tablet, desktop or laptop): https://vimeo.com/870139104/4d09173f8d?share=copy

Alternatively, if you have a child who is under the age of 17, you have a DVA number, or you do not have a MyGov account or access to the internet, there are paper forms available that you can complete. These can be filled in at the clinic. Alternatively, you can fill in the forms at home and send them to the clinic for us to process. (https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/mymedicare-registration-form?language=en)

Telephone Access

Doctors may be contacted during normal opening hours. If the doctor is with a patient, a message will be taken and our reception staff will advise you when it is likely that the doctor will return your call. In an emergency your call will always be put through to a doctor/nurse.

Results

You will be notified regarding your results via SMS messaging which will indicate any follow up action required. If you have opted out of this option you will need to call the clinic at the recommended interval for further advice.