REFERRALS
Please Note - As Dr Blair-West is a medical specialist you will only receive a Medicare rebate for your appointment if you have a referral from a GP - not a Mental Health Care Plan, as these are for psychologists and other allied health professionals. If you do not have a referral by the time of your appointment, you need to reschedule your appointment unless you are prepared to be out of pocket the full fee.
We require 48 hours notice if you reschedule - so please organise your referral from your GP as soon as you make the appointment, if you have not done so already.
Please Note - As Dr Blair-West is a medical specialist you will only receive a Medicare rebate for your appointment if you have a referral from a GP - not a Mental Health Care Plan, as these are for psychologists and other allied health professionals. If you do not have a referral by the time of your appointment, you need to reschedule your appointment unless you are prepared to be out of pocket the full fee.
We require 48 hours notice if you reschedule - so please organise your referral from your GP as soon as you make the appointment, if you have not done so already.
FEES & HOW REBATES INCREASE
The fees charged are those recommended by the Australian Medical Association with payment on the day of consultation. Dr Blair-West does not bulk-bill. We accept credit/EFTpos cards which allow you to pay your account and receive your Medicare refund immediately into your bank account as we have the Medicare Easyclaim service. This means you are only out of pocket for the difference after the Medicare rebate. We do not add a surcharge for the use of a credit card.
Your first appointment will cost $410, however the rebate for this is $228 (subsequent appointments are less with a lower rebate) such that your out of pocket fee is $182. Note that while therapy may seem expensive, the Government increases your rebates when certain thresholds are reached. The Original Medicare Safety Net (OMSN) kicks in once you have paid around $540 out of pocket to any doctor or specialist in a calendar year and then the "Extended Safety Net" is triggered - read about these benefits here. Once you reach this safety net, Medicare will pay the usual rebate and, on top of this, 80% of the gap that we charge you. From this point a 45 minute appointment will cost you around $38.
Note that any doctors' bills for all members of your family count towards the safety net – but to enjoy this family benefit you need to register your partner/children with Medicare on 13 20 11. And yes, de facto relationships qualify!
Equally, once you have reached the Extended Safety Net, any consultation with any GP or any other Specialist will be rebated at this much higher level of 80% of your out of pocket expense.
MEDICARE
For those of you who are smartphone savvy, if you have not already, download the Medicare Express Plus app (see below) for Android and iPhones. This is helpful in the odd event that there is a problem with our Easyclaim service - which happens from time to time. Using the camera in your smartphone you send a photo of your account off from your phone and the account is processed by Medicare.
The fees charged are those recommended by the Australian Medical Association with payment on the day of consultation. Dr Blair-West does not bulk-bill. We accept credit/EFTpos cards which allow you to pay your account and receive your Medicare refund immediately into your bank account as we have the Medicare Easyclaim service. This means you are only out of pocket for the difference after the Medicare rebate. We do not add a surcharge for the use of a credit card.
Your first appointment will cost $410, however the rebate for this is $228 (subsequent appointments are less with a lower rebate) such that your out of pocket fee is $182. Note that while therapy may seem expensive, the Government increases your rebates when certain thresholds are reached. The Original Medicare Safety Net (OMSN) kicks in once you have paid around $540 out of pocket to any doctor or specialist in a calendar year and then the "Extended Safety Net" is triggered - read about these benefits here. Once you reach this safety net, Medicare will pay the usual rebate and, on top of this, 80% of the gap that we charge you. From this point a 45 minute appointment will cost you around $38.
Note that any doctors' bills for all members of your family count towards the safety net – but to enjoy this family benefit you need to register your partner/children with Medicare on 13 20 11. And yes, de facto relationships qualify!
Equally, once you have reached the Extended Safety Net, any consultation with any GP or any other Specialist will be rebated at this much higher level of 80% of your out of pocket expense.
MEDICARE
For those of you who are smartphone savvy, if you have not already, download the Medicare Express Plus app (see below) for Android and iPhones. This is helpful in the odd event that there is a problem with our Easyclaim service - which happens from time to time. Using the camera in your smartphone you send a photo of your account off from your phone and the account is processed by Medicare.