Fees & Payments

Consultation Fees

Private Health Insurance companies do not pay consultation fees.  Medicare provides a rebate on your consultation fees; however, this rebate does not cover the whole cost of consultation fees. Please note that a valid referral from your GP or other specialist is required to claim the Medicare Rebate on your behalf.

Consultation Fees:

• Initial Consultation - $180 (Medicare rebate $81.30, Out-of-pocket fee $98.70).
• Follow-up consultation up to 12 months – bulk billed (no additional fee) 

Health Card Holders:

• Initial Consultation - $150 (Medicare rebate $81.30 Out of pocket fee $68.70)
• Follow-up consultation up to 12 months – bulk billed (no additional fee)

Seniors Card Holders, Aged Pensioners and Children under 16 years:

• Bulk Billed

Our reception staff will be happy to advise you of the consultation fee upon booking an appointment.

Consultation fees are payable in full on the day of the appointment. We can assist you in claiming the Medicare rebate on your behalf. For this, ensure your bank details are up to date on my.gov.au to avoid any delays in receiving your rebate directly from Medicare in your account. Normally your rebate should appear in your account within 1-3 business days. 

Surgical Procedure Fees

Dr Bindu is a No Gap Surgeon for breast cancer and general surgeries performed at hospitals. The standard fees charged for procedures are in line with the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), a listing of the Medicare services subsidised by the Australian Government. This means that in almost all instances of procedures under MBS and approved by your Health Fund, there will not be a ‘gap’ between our surgical fees and what is covered by Medicare and your Health Insurance Fund.

Other Possible Disbursements

There may be other charges involved in your care depending on which course of action you choose. You need to also check with your health fund to see what is covered for additional areas of service.

Potential areas of cover are:

• Hospital
• Surgical Assistants
• Implants or Prosthesis
• Anaesthetics
• Tests (Radiology, Pathology etc.)
• Postoperative Care
• *Minor procedures performed in the rooms

*Minor procedures performed in the rooms may incur a nominal charge which equates to the value of actual consumables used (that are not covered by Medicare or Health Funds).

Estimates

We offer informed financial consent to all our patients prior to surgery. This is a pre-treatment estimate of your surgical costs. This estimate enables you to discuss with your health insurance company what you are covered for and if benefits are applicable.

Payment Methods

Electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS) is our preferred method of payment, however, payment can be made in any of the following methods:

• Cash
• Credit Card – AMEX, MasterCard & VISA
• Electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS)
• Direct deposit via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

Private Patients

Overview

A private patient is someone who chooses to fund their treatment themselves.

If you have private health insurance that covers the types of procedures Dr Bindu performs, then your health fund excess is payable usually to the hospital on the day of the procedure.

If you choose to be treated as a private patient, you will be treated at hospitals that Dr Bindu is affiliated with or is a Visiting Medical Specialist.

After discharge, your care will be followed up at our private rooms till you are discharged back to your local general practitioner.

Types of Private Patients

The practice caters for a range of Private patients, these include:

• Private Health Insured
• Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) 
• Self-Insured (Uninsured)
• Overseas Patients

Private Health Insurance - No Gap Policy

Private Health Insurance allows you and your family to access the right health services at the right time. You have control of your healthcare and can choose the provider, facility, and timing of your treatment. With the security and protection of private health insurance, you have access to an extensive range of private hospitals and can rest assured that your health is in good hands.

Depending on your level of private health cover, some health funds also require you to pay an excess.

The practice is not responsible for these costs, but our staff will do their utmost to guide you to have a better understanding.

Our practice accepts most private health insurance programs. Our practice staff can also help with your claim for benefits, but you should be mindful that your specific policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company.

Please keep in mind that you are responsible for your total obligation should your insurance benefits result in less coverage than anticipated.

You should be aware that different insurance companies vary greatly in the types of coverage available. Also, some companies take care of claims promptly, while others may delay payment for several months.

Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)

The Australian Government’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) provides support to current and former serving members and their families through a range of benefits (including ongoing or one-off payments). For further understanding on how you can apply these benefits to our service and the scope of cover please refer to: DVA BENEFITS

Workcover

Arrangements between our practice and the state government insurance regulator cover patients involved in workplace accidents.

For consultation and procedures to be performed under Workcover, you need to provide your employer or insurer's letter accepting the liabilities and also the claim number.

For information on workcover in Western Australia, please click the link.

Self-Insured (Uninsured)

If you are self-funded (no private health insurance), the full hospital fee is payable on admission.

Self-funded patients may be able to choose private admission even if they do not have private health insurance. Self-funded patients will be liable to pay the following:

• Surgeon’s consultation and procedure fees that are not covered by Medicare.
• Anaesthetists’ fees
• Surgical assistant fees
• The gap for diagnostic services (medical imaging and laboratory), however some of these services may be bulk billed to Medicare, that is no ‘gap’
• Hospital accommodation fees (bed charge)
• Surgically implanted pros·   theses and consumables

Essentially this means you must meet all costs of the admission yourself except those covered by Medicare. Normally full payment is required 2 weeks prior to your procedure.
For further information about being a private patient, contact our rooms.

Overseas Patients with Non-Reciprocal Agreement

If you are an overseas visitor, you will be required to pay the full hospital fee on admission.

If you are an overseas patient from a country where there is no Reciprocal Health Care Agreement, you are not eligible for Medicare, and you are responsible for payment of all fees and services.

Non-Medicare patients are billed for inpatient and outpatient services regardless of if they choose public or private admission.

Reciprocal Health Care Agreement - If you are a visitor from a country where Australia does have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA), you may be eligible for treatment that is deemed immediately necessary for any health problem or injury whilst in Australia. RHCA does not cover pre-arranged or elective treatment. Overseas patients who are covered by the RHCA will not be covered if they choose private admission.

Please contact us for more information.

Private vs Public Fees

You may choose to be a public or a private patient. This page provides patients with the different options for surgery in the private or public hospital system.

Australian residents who decide to be public patients are entitled to free treatment under Medicare. Your treatment will be carried out by the specialist, which will be arranged prior to your admission. After discharge, your care will be followed up in my private rooms till you are discharged to your local general practitioner.

In a public hospital, the surgery for the patient under my care is usually performed by myself or the registrar (doctor training in general surgery) but the registrar is supervised by myself, and I will be responsible for your care.

There are no fees for surgery in the public hospital, however, there is a waiting list. Your position on the waiting list will be based on the severity of your condition.

Private Hospital Treatment:

In the private system, I will perform your surgery personally, and all follow-up appointments will be done at my consulting rooms.

Tax Refund Scheme

Tax Rebate Scheme for Medical Expenses

A significant rebate can be claimed through your end-of-year tax return if you incur medical expenses over $2,000 during one financial year. Anyone can claim the tax offset: there is no upper limit on the amount you can claim however, it is now income tested. The rebate is currently 20 cents for every dollar over the $2,000 threshold.

There is no upper limit on the amount you can claim, and it is not means or assets tested. Because this is a rebate rather than a tax deduction, you can claim this from the ATO even if you do not pay tax. It is claimed in question T9 on your tax return. As always, be sure to check with your accountant or financial advisor. Further details can be found by clicking here.

No Private Health Insurance

If you are not in a Private Health Fund or DVA and you need surgery, you have two alternatives:

• Go on a Waiting List at the Public Hospital, or
• Pay for the operation yourself ("Self-Insure")

I admit public patients to Peel Health Campus, where I have regular operating lists. It is mandatory that you reside in that region (postcode restrictions apply)

The care in the public hospital is free of charge to you.

Waiting List

Elective surgery is a term used for non-emergency surgery, which is medically necessary but can be delayed for at least 24 hours.

Patients who need emergency treatment will not be placed on the elective surgery list.

Elective surgery is usually performed in an operating theatre or procedure room by the surgeon under some form of anaesthesia. 

The waiting list for elective surgeries in the Public system is variable, and booking is done on a priority basis. Your medical specialist will categorise your case into Category 1, 2 or 3, depending on medical need. Patients with the most urgent medical need (Category 1 – urgent) will be scheduled for surgery first. Desirable waiting times in WA public hospitals are expected to be up to 30 days, 90 days, and 365 days for Category 1, 2 and 3 elective surgeries, respectively.

Self-Insured

An increasing number of people are choosing to "Self-Insure" or pay for their own surgery so they do not have to wait. This is often a worthwhile investment as it means you can have your operation done straight away or whenever it suits you. This can allow you to get back to your work and sport as soon as possible.

The costs may not be as high as you think, especially for some less invasive surgeries like

• Hernia repairs
• Day case procedures
• Breast procedures without reconstructions

All the private hospital fees associated with your surgery are out-of-pocket expenses, but we will assist you in obtaining an estimate of costs from the private hospital before you go ahead with your surgical procedure.

If you want to consider this option, call our practice, and we will be happy to arrange a quote for you.

Please Check With Your Private Health Fund To Avoid Disappointment

Our practice accepts all health funds, so our “No Gap” offer for procedures is available to everyone who is covered with Australian private health insurance for Surgical, regardless of which fund you are with.

Our “No Gaps” offer for surgical procedures means whatever your health insurance pays as a full benefit will be accepted as full payment*

*Conditions for the No Gap Surgical Service

• You must have surgery cover by your private health insurer.
• Your insurance must cover the cost of the treatment. If the limit is reached for services provided or your health insurer paid zero dollars, you will have to pay the difference.
• You must have your health fund card with you at the appointment.

Things To Ask Your Health Fund Include:

When talking with your Health insurance company, you should be clear on the following matters:

• What is my annual monetary benefit limit for?
• General Surgical treatment and Major Surgical treatment?
• What service limits apply to my cover?
• When does my annual benefit limit expire?
• Do I have a waiting period? And when does it end?
• What kind of Surgical treatment is NOT covered?