Deen Clinic Billing Policy

Our Billing Policy Explained

Our practice delivers the highest level of patient medical care, which includes longer consultations and minimal waiting times to see our doctor. Unfortunately, these services are not fully covered by Medicare, and therefore our clinic needs to transition to a mixed billing practice to ensure we can sustain our services to the community. Patients who do not hold a Valid Pensioner Concession Card, Healthcare Card or DVA Gold Card are now required to pay for the consult in full on the day of your consultation. For convenience, your Medicare rebate is processed immediately back into your bank account. To provide this convenience to all our patients, we use Medicare Easy Claim.

FAQ

1. What is bulk billing?

Bulk billing means that the doctor is paid directly by Medicare on behalf of the patient. This means that the amount paid for each medical service is the amount set by the Australian Government.

2. Do you bulk bill?

We are still bulk billing patients who hold a valid Pensioner Concession Card, Healthcare Card or a DVA Gold Card. Some practitioners decide on their fees, and some services are always bulk billed, such as care plans and Government funded health assessments.

3. Why don’t you bulk bill everything?

The Government set the amount through the MBS for item numbers. The amounts approved for a consultation is insufficient to cover the costs of providing a high-quality healthcare practice. At the Deen Clinic we value our doctors, and we know that they are worth more than the Government’s small value on their service. We want to continue to attract and maintain the very best Specialist General Practitioners and maintain a very high-quality service.

4. Why would I choose to pay a private fee rather than go to a bulk billing clinic?

Bulk billing clinics often need to see more patients in an hour and often need patients to come back to get test results and may not be able to spend as much time addressing your medical needs. We value your time as much as ours. We aim to keep waiting times to a minimum, we offer online bookings, eScripts, we have an excellent recall and reminder system, and our dedicated staff and high standards of service ensure your experience is as pleasant as possible.

Fees

We are a mixed billing clinic, meaning all consultations (see reception for exclusions) are time-based and attract a fee. Fees are payable at the time of consultation by credit card or EFTPOS. Accounts are unfortunately not able to be given. The Australian Medical Association fee structure forms the basis of our billing policy. The doctors charge fees that reflect the time taken and degree of complexity in each consultation.

Our practice is equipped with TYRO and Medicare Easy Claim. These facilities allow the surgery to directly lodge your receipt for Medicare refunds, saving time for patients. Please ask the reception staff for any information regarding these rebate options, as well as private fees.