We understand that navigating your way through the health system in terms of out-of-pocket costs can be a challenge, even when you have private health insurance. PLease contact our highly experienced administration team if you have any questions or queries.
The team at Geelong Urology is committed to the provision of the highest standard of care and support to our patients. We are committed to charging a fair and reasonable fee as much as possible. The costs of running a specialist medical practise includes staff wages, practise nurses, rent, medical supplies and equipment, IT services and infrastructure.
Please see the below AMA explanation of different fees or call the office if more questions. https://www.ama.com.au/articles/guide-patients-how-health-care-system-funds-medical-care-2022
Fees for Consultations and Minor Procedures
Consultations
You will be able to claim a Medicare rebate for some of the cost of your appointment. Please note that Medicare will not fully cover the cost of your appointment.
Private health insurance will not provide a rebate for the cost of your appointment
Minor procedures
At Geelong Urology we can perform minor procedures such as cystoscopy and vasectomy, without requiring an admission to Hospital. There is a seperate fee for a minor procedure, in addition to your consultation fee. There is often a Medicare rebate for a portion of the cost of the procedure. Private health insurance will not cover a procedure which is completed in the office.
Surgery Costs
The total cost of having surgery in a private hospital is the combination of fees from multiple providers. Our fee is known as the surgeons fee. There is also the fee from your anaesthetist, the surgical assistant (if required), any specific equipment required during surgery, tests and some medications.
There is usually a portion of the fees which will not be covered by Medicare and your private health insurance. THis is known as the “gap” or “out of pocket cost”. Our administration staff will compile a quote for the anticipated fees for your surgery. The quote will include the estimated gap. This is an estimate only. On occasion the final fee may differ from the estimate due to unforeseen issues which arise during your surgery. Once you have reviewed the quote, you will be asked to sign an informed financial consent form confirming that you understand the anticipated costs for your surgery. If there are any concerns about this, please discuss prior to your procedure.
Private health insurance
Private health insurance will only pay a rebate for medical costs incurred while you are an inpatient in a hospital. The amount your private health insurer will pay towards the cost of the medical treatment will depend on which company you are with, level of cover, exclusions and waiting periods. We always recommend you contact your private health insurer before your treatment to confirm which costs they cover.
I do not have private health insurance and want to “Self fund”
If you do not have private health insurance, you can still choose to be treated in a private hospital and self fund your medical care. This means you are not eligible for any rebate of your hospital fees. You may be eligible for a Medicare rebate on some of the surgeon’s fees, surgical assistant fees and anaesthetist’s fees. A quote will be compiled over several days about the estimated cost. This quote will include the anticipated fees for the surgeon, surgical assistant, hospital and equiment.
Payment options
Payment options for consultations and minor procedures.
We ask you to settle your account in full on the day of the consultation or procedure. We accept cash, personal and bank cheques, and EFTPOS (Debit cards, Mastercard, VISA).
For consultations and minor procedures in our offices, we can lodge a Medicare claim for you online, so that the Medicare rebate is automatically sent to your nominated bank account or mailed to you by cheque.
Payment options for surgery
To settle your surgical account we accept payment by BPAY, direct deposit, cheque, or credit card, or in person.
Fees for your anaesthetist and the hospital are payable directly to those providers.
