Referrals
In order to see Dr Doneley, you must have a referral from your GP or other medical specialist. Medicare rebates require a valid medical referral. A GP referral is valid for 12 months and specialist referral for 3 months.
Consultation
When you make your first appointment with Dr Doneley the reception staff will advise you of the cost of the consultation.
Your first appointment will be charged as an initial visit and is typically a longer appointment so will be billed higher than future reviews. You will receive a portion of your consultation fees back through Medicare.
Post surgical reviews are covered by your operative fee for a few weeks up to a few months depending on the surgery performed by Dr Doneley.
Medicare rebate
If you chose, our practice can do online claiming and submit your claim for your consultation to Medicare. This will eliminate the need for you to visit a Medicare office. Your refund will be made to your bank account that you have registered with Medicare.
Surgical Fees
After your consultation, if you require an operation our staff will give you an itemised quote providing you with a detailed estimate of the costs.
Our fees have been developed in accordance with the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) as set out by the Australian Health Service Alliance (AHSA) and Medicare.
Note: All payments are required at least 7 days prior to your procedure. Should for any reason your surgery be cancelled or delayed your payment will be reimbursed to you.
Your out-of-pocket costs will depend on: the type of surgery you need, the surgical item number/s are used, where you have the surgery and which health fund you are with.
Every operation has a different item number and fee and each health fund has a different fee schedule and policy for payments. Our reception staff are more than happy to answer all questions that you may have regarding your billing and insurance. It is strongly advised to talk to your health fund about all costs you may incur, e.g. hospital excess, before you have your operation.
Payment
We accept Cash, Cheque, Mastercard or Visa, and have EFTPOS facilities. AMEX is not accepted. Full payment is required at the time of your visit.
Workcover
Workcover patients are required to bring their claim number and this will allow us to directly bill Workcover.
Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA)
DVA patients are required to bring their DVA card with them. We can also organise transport for your appointment via the DVA Transport Scheme.
Third Party Insurance
If a third party is funding your consultation please bring a letter of approval, including relevant billing references and address details with you. Depending on the circumstances you may be required to pay the fee and seek reimbursement. Our staff can discuss this with you.
Other fees
You will also receive a separate bill for services from the Anaesthetist and the Surgical Assistant (if your operation requires one).