Fees Policy

Fees and Payments:

Wholehealth Medical Care is mixed billing practice.

Bulk-billing is available for Health Care Card holders, Pension Card holders, DVA (Veterans' Affairs) Card holders, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders, children aged 16 and under or at the discretion of the individual Doctor.

All other patients are privately billed. This means that you'll usually have a gap payment (out of pocket expense) - the gap payment is the difference between the rebate you receive from Medicare, and the fee charged by the Doctor.

Any relevant cards, such as Medicare or DVA cards, concession cards, and student cards, must be presented before each consultation or treatment. 

If your bank account details are registered with Medicare, the Medicare rebate can be processed at the time of payment otherwise the rebate can usually take 1 -2 business days to appear in your nominated account.

For Commercial Fitness to Drive Medical Examinations, WorkCover treatment, pre-employment medicals, insurance medicals, and certain other categories of consultation and treatment, Medicare benefits aren't applicable, so please discuss fees with us beforehand, as these consultations will need to be paid for privately, before the consultation or treatment itself. An invoice will be given if eligible from reimbursement from a third party.

Overseas visitors to Australia, please discuss fees with us beforehand, to see whether or not you're eligible either for Medicare's Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) cover, or for private health/travel insurance cover.

If you are experiencing financial hardship please discuss this with your GP in your consultation.

If you are unsure of any fees please have a chat with our friendly reception staff.

Consultation Type

Length

Fee

Medicare Rebate

Out of Pocket

Level A (Short)

<6 min

$45.00

$20.05

$24.95

Level B (Standard)

6-19 min

$95.00

$43.90

$51.10

Level C (Long

20-39 min

$135.00

$84.90

$50.10

Level D (Prolonged)

40-59 min

$175.00

$125.10

$49.90

Level E (Prolonged)

>60 min

$250.00

$202.65

$47.35

Due to our practice size and location, nursing home visits are not feasible.

Making Payments:

Payment is required on the day of the consultation or treatment, and can be made by cash, EFTPOS or Credit Card (excluding Diners and AMEX cards). WorkCover patients must provide a claim number each time they present for a consultation.

Appointments:

Our practice operates on an appointment basis only - no walk-in consultations are possible.

Our appointment system caters for urgent, non-urgent, complex, planned chronic care, and preventive healthcare. If you need more time with your Doctor, please arrange an extended consultation when booking your appointment. Also, please advise reception staff if you have more than one issue to discuss, so that the appropriate consultation time can be booked.

Urgent appointments will be seen by the next available doctor. Please advise reception if you believe you require an urgent appointment. Urgent appointments will be triaged by the Doctor on duty.

Telehealth/Telephone Consultations:

If you are a regular patient, telehealth or telephone services may be available, at the discretion of your doctor. Please contact our practice for more information.

Waiting Times:

At times, you may experience a waiting period due to Doctors tending to urgent or complex medical issues. We apologise for any inconvenience, and appreciate your understanding.

After Hours:

Patients requiring medical attention outside normal opening hours should attend:

Orange Base Hospital

Emergency Department

1530 Forest Road

Orange NSW 2800

Phone: (02) 63693000

Blayney District Hospital (Doctors attend via video link)

3 Osman Street

Blayney NSW 2799

Phone: (02) 6368 9000

If non-emergency healthcare is required, the Orange and the Bathurst Urgent Care Services are open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM - please contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 to access this service.

Home Visits:

Depending on circumstances, and considering the safety of all concerned, home visits may be able to be provided to patients. Visits must be able to take place during clinic hours, and are at the discretion of the individual Doctor. If a home visit isn't appropriate, a telephone consultation may be offered as an alternative.

Emergencies:

Please dial Triple Zero (000), or attend the nearest hospital, in an emergency. The nearest hospitals to the practice are:

Orange Base Hospital

Emergency Department

1530 Forest Road

Orange NSW 2800

Phone: (02) 63693000

Blayney District Hospital (Doctors attend via video link)

3 Osman Street

Blayney NSW 2799

Phone: (02) 6368 9000

Translator Services:

For patients with language difficulties, a telephone translator service can be arranged on 131 450.

For patients with hearing difficulties, an Auslan interpreter can be arranged on 1300 287 526.

Please advise our receptionist beforehand if you believe that either or both of these services may be needed.