Patient Types & Payment Methods

Our Payment Policy

Consultation Fees

Our reception staff will be happy to advise you of the consultation fee when you book an appointment over the telephone. If required, fees for consultation and any other necessary forms will be sent to you for your convenience prior to your appointment.


Surgical Fees

If you have private health insurance you will be able to pick your hospital and have Dr Wong do your surgery. There will be an out-of-pocket payment. This amount depends on the type of surgery and you will be given a quote prior to surgery as part of financial disclosure. This amount has to be paid prior to the surgical procedure. Other expenses not controlled by this practice are anaesthetic fees, surgical assist fees, cost of pathology testing and hospital excess fees.

 

If you do not have private health insurance, Dr Wong can place you on the Eastern Health public waiting list for your procedure without additional fees.  The hospital doctors will do the surgery.


IVF Fees

IVF fees are billed by Monash IVF. After your appointment with Dr Wong, and after determining the type of treatment required, Monash IVF will provide you with a detailed costing.

Medical billing statement on a clipboard with stethoscope, pen, and calculator on a wooden desk.

About Our Medical Fees

The Federal Government medical benefits scheme [MBS] SUBSIDIZES health care in Australia if the service provided has a MBS item number.  This amount never reflected the true cost of providing a service and over the decades has fallen further behind.  As a result of this there is a gap between what the consultation costs and what Medicare will rebate.  Full payment is due on the day of the service.  Reception can inform you of this amount when booking an appointment.

Private Fee Patients 

Our practice treats private fee patients. If you choose to be treated as a private patient, you will be able to:

  • choose your own treating specialist, and
  • be treated at hospitals that our doctor is affiliated with or is a visiting medical specialist, 


After discharge, your care and follow-up appointments will be carried out by your specialist and team in either 

  • an outpatient clinic or in our private rooms, or 
  • will be referred to your local general practitioner.


As a private patient, our surgeon will perform your surgery personally and will also look after you if you are advised to be an inpatient. All follow-up appointments will be in our private rooms.


Fee Estimates

We offer informed financial consent to all our patients prior to surgery. This is a pre-treatment estimate of your surgical costs. 


While the fees charged may depend on the specific course of treatment, our practice's standard fees exceed the Medicare Benefits Rebate fee schedule. This means that in most instances there will be a ‘gap’ between our surgical fee and what is covered by Medicare and your health insurance fund. Unless you are a member of a health fund Dr Wong elects to do gap cover with, then there are no excess fees for his services.


The pre-treatment fee estimate includes the specific item numbers to be used and enables you to discuss with your health insurance company what you are covered for and whether benefits apply.


If there is any problem with either the fee estimate or any other billing issue, it is important that you ask our staff. They can help you navigate what can be a complex process by either advising or helping explain the charges and rebate structure. 


All Fee Categories

Our practice fees for either Consulting or Surgery may sometimes be only part of your treatment cost. 


Other possible fees or disbursements related to your care depend on the course of treatment chosen. You may also need to check with your health fund to see what is covered for additional services. Potential fee categories to be sure of can include:

  • Hospital Fees,
  • Surgical Assistant Fees,
  • Disposable surgical instruments.
  • Anaesthetists Fees,
  • Diagnostic Tests (Radiology, Pathology), and
  • Post-Operative Care.



Questions to Ask Your Health Fund

When talking with your Health insurance company, you should be clear on the following matters:

  • What is my annual monetary benefit limit for:
  • General Surgical treatment and Major Surgical treatment?
  • What service limits apply to my cover?
  • When does my annual benefit limit expire?
  • Do I have a waiting period? And when does it end?
  • What kind of Surgical treatment is NOT covered?
Man in suit holding a paper sign that reads

  • Private Billing

    Our practice is a private service provider, this means typically payment in full is expected at the time of the appointment.

     

    Patients are then able to claim some of the fee back from Medicare if you have a referral letter.

    A percentage of the fee may also be claimed from you private health insurance company. 

  • Do You Offer Discounts?

    Due to strict regulations set by the Therapeutic Goods Act (TGA) it is against the law to offer financial inducements for medical services. 

    Discounted treatments should raise alarm bells when you are choosing which clinic to trust your treatment to. 

  • Quotations

    A treatment quotation can be created. This quotation includes the item numbers for checking with your health fund.


    Other Possible Disbursements

    Other charges for your care that should be checked could include:

    • Hospital Fees
    • Surgical Assistant Fees
    • Disposable surgical instruments
    • Anaesthetics Fees
    • Tests (Radiology, Pathology)
    • Postoperative Care

  • No Gap Policy

    For surgical treatments there is  a No Gap billing arrangement with most but not all health funds.  If  there is no arrangement for no gap with your health fund there will be out of pocket expenses or you can choose to transfer to a health fund with a no gap arrangement without affecting your waiting periods.

  • Self Insured Patients

    Patients without private health insurance can choose private admission. These ‘self-funded’ patients assume all costs of the admission including the:

    • Gap between the Medicare benefit and specialists fees,
    • Gap for diagnostic services,
    • Hospital accommodation fees,
    • Any surgical devices used

    For further information about being a private patient, contact our rooms

  • Fee Explanations

    Please talk with our staff for further clarification of what is involved.


    They can go through the details of the fees, payment options and logistics with you. 


    If you still have questions when you leave the office, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help.

  • What Will I Get Back?

    Generally, most health funds will cover a percentage of the cost for our services. 


    We recommend you check your level of cover with your private health fund to know exactly what you are entitled to for each consultation and the gap you may be expected to pay. 

  • Payment Methods

    Any gap payments are expected to be settled on the day of consultation.


    These accounts can be paid via 

    • EFT, 
    • Visa Card, 
    • Mastercard, 
    • AMEX, 
    • Cheque 
    • Cash.

    In some cases a deposit or full payment is requested prior to admission.

  • Known Gap

    For some treatments have a Known Gap arrangement.

  • Finance Options

    Sometimes it’s just easier to spread your payments. We can advise you of a number of health finance companies that can offer a formal quote based on your circumstances.


    A credit assessment will be conducted prior to acceptance of any offer or product. Interest rates, terms and conditions will be provided on the application. Fees and charges apply.