Consultation fees

The doctors and staff of Miranda Family Practice have been providing high quality health services to our patients for over 22 years now. To continue to be able to do this into the future, it is necessary for us to update our billing policy.

As of 7 August 2023, we will be charging a gap fee to all patients, apart from:

• Children under 10 year old
• Department of Veterans Affairs gold-card holders
• Patients with Commonwealth concession cards who are covered by the Commonwealth Closing The Gap Program.

In other words, all other patients will be privately billed for consultations with our doctors irrespective of their concession card status.

We will provide a discounted fee to pensioners and Commonwealth concession card holders.

A private fee may be charged for a carers certificate for a sick child if the child is not seen at the Practice - irrespective of the child's age.

GP management plans and health assessments for over 75’s will continue to be bulk billed, as will annual flu, covid and other government recommended age appropriate vaccines. Department of Veterans Affairs White-card holders will be bulk billed for the services covered by this card.

All patients will be privately billed for Skin Checks/Procedures by Dr Farrow.

All patients will continue to be privately billed on a Saturday - except DVA gold card holders and treatment room.

This has not been a decision that we have taken lightly. We understand that all our patients are affected by rising costs at the moment. However, the same financial stresses also affect small businesses such as Miranda Family Practice. Unfortunately, the Medicare rebate that we receive for bulk-billed consultations is no longer sufficient to provide quality healthcare. In order to continue to meet the rising costs of running a practice, and to retain high quality general practitioners who are able to manage complex and chronic disorders, we need to charge a gap fee.

Whilst we have been a mixed-billing practice for some time now, the reality is that most of our patients have continued to be bulk-billed.

While the cost of providing healthcare has gone up by more than 23% in the last decade, the Medicare rebate has barely changed over this time (and was completely frozen between 2014 & 2018). We had hoped that the current government would significantly increase the Medicare rebate in 2023, but this was not to be, and the ongoing underfunding of general practice by governments of both political persuasions seems set to continue. An increase in the small bulk billing incentive by the current government does not come close to covering the actual cost of providing healthcare when your GP bulk bills your medical services.

This is unsustainable.

We hope that our patients will understand why we have taken this decision, and recognise the value of the care they receive from the GP’s and nurses at Miranda Family Practice. We look forward to continuing to provide our patients with the same high standard of care, now and in the future.

Fees from 7th August 2023

All patients except:

• Child under 10 years old
• DVA gold card, DVA white card – for approved conditions
• Closing The Gap patients who have a Commonwealth concession card

Consult	Item	Full Fee	Discounted Fee	Rebate
Standard	23 / 91891	$ 88	$ 78	$ 41.20
Long	36 / 93716	$ 135	$ 125	$ 79.70
Extended	44	$ 182	$ 172	$ 117.40

All patients privately billed for Skin checks/procedures by Dr Farrow.

Skin Check	Item	Full Fee	Discounted Fee	Rebate
Standard	23	$ 135	$ 95	$ 41.20
Long	36	$ 156	$ 125	$ 79.70

Procedures – please ask reception for brochure.

All patients privately billed for a consultation on a Saturday, except DVA Gold card and treatment room.

Fees are payable on the day of service. Payment can be made by Cash or EFTPOS.

Patients may be charged a cancellation/no show fee if an appointment is not attended or cancelled without appropriate notice.

Medicare and online claiming

We lodge your private receipted account direct to Medicare after payment. Medicare will deposit your rebate into the bank account you have registered with them.