Fees
Seachange Paediatrics is a private Specialist Paediatric practice. In general, our practice does not bulk bill as bulk billing rates will not cover the cost of operating a private clinic. Our fees are set by the Doctors and they are structured to align with the Australian Medical Associations (AMA) recommended rates for specialist consultations.
Fees quoted are at the doctor's discretion. The reception staff are unable to offer discounted rates. If your personal circumstances make it difficult to pay, please speak to your Doctor directly during your consultation.
| Consult Type | Total Fee | Medicare Rebate |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Consultation | $450 - 550 | $143 - 250 |
| Follow up (in person or video) | $220 - 260 | $71.70 - 125.55 |
| New Referral (Existing patient who has not been seen for 6-9 months) | $370 | $250.65 |
| *Total cost may be higher for specific items numbers such as Medicare 135 to access higher subsidy for support services | ||
| Phone Call (single issue) | $100 | $40 |
| Prescriptions and letters (outside of an appointment) | $50 | n/a |
| NDIS forms and support letters (outside of an appointment) | $50 + (determined by complexity of report) | n/a |
- Patients who have not been seen for 12 + months will likely incur a higher fee.
You will be required to pay the full amount for the consultation on the day of your appointment. Payments are accepted via EFTPOS through our medical software. Medicare rebates are usually processed overnight through Medicare online.
Cancellation | All cancellations are required to be notified to the practice 2 business days (Mon-Friday) prior to the scheduled appointment time, to avoid being charged a cancellation fee. If you cancel an appointment at late notice, or do not attend a booked appointment, we are unable to re-fill the appointment timeslot thereby losing out on patient care. It also means that the doctor incurs wasted costs and expenditure for that unattended appointment. |
Medicare rebate | Medicare subsidises a proportion of your consultation fees, as long as a valid GP referral is in place. If you have not received your rebate, please first check with medicare (via myGov) to ensure your personal information matches the information you provided us and that your bank account details are correct. Please do not contact our reception staff unless you have checked with Medicare first. |
Prescriptions | Children taking prescription medication require 6 monthly monitoring at minimum, to monitor their health, growth, effects and side effect of the prescribed medication. If you need re-prescription outside of a consultation, we will ask you to make an appointment, and only provide sufficient medication to last up to that appointment time. Your GP may also be able to provide a prescription in which case they will need to review your child. We recommend ensuring that you have regular appointments booked either with our Doctors or your GP. If you run out of medication before your appointment, we will provide enough medication until your appointment. A private charge may apply. Your GP may also be able to refill the prescription, but they'll need to review your child first. |
Non-consultation clinical service | Services between consultations, such as prescriptions, letter, forms and phone calls, will incur a private fee. We ask that you pay on the day, either over the telephone or face to face if you come in to pick items up. Prescriptions, letters and forms will only be sent through when payment has been received. These services as clinically significant and they are undertaken in accordance with relevant medico-legal and ethical considerations. |
Can I use my NDIS or private health to cover specialist fees? | NDIS funding cannot be used for private specialist clinics. You may be eligible for partial payment of the consultation by your private health fund. Reception staff will provide you with an invoice, which you can then submit to your fund. |