Important Notice: We are now a Mixed Billing Practice.
On 1 November 2023 we became a Mixed Billing Practice becuause we could unfortunately no longer sustain our operation by remaining as a 100% Bulk Billing surgery. The Medicare amounts paid by the government, on behalf of patients, no longer covers the cost of general practice services.

We are continuing to Bulk Bill patients who are under the age of 16 years old, who have a current Medicare card number, Pensioner Concession Card holders, Health Care Card holders & Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders. DVA card holders will continue to have eligible consults billed to DVA. Patients will need to keep their details up to date with Services Australia and the practice in order to be Bulk Billed. The list of patients eligible to be Bulk Billed is subject to change.

After an in-practice consultation all patients need to go to the Reception desk to finalise their visit.
Concessional card holders have their bulk-billed claim settled at Reception once the patient’s details are verified. Non-Concessional patients pay upfront in full for their consultation at Reception with a credit card or debit card. An EFTPOS transaction surcharge paid by the patient applies to all transactions. If the patient has their bank account details registered with Medicare and has their debit card for that account, the practice can process the Medicare refund on the spot. To receive a Medicare rebate, patients need to register their bank account details with Medicare & keep their details up to date with Medicare and the practice.

For all in-person consultations we will have Medicare patient claiming available to process Medicare rebates after the full consult fee(s) are paid. To use this service, patients will need to have their bank account details registered with Medicare and use the bank debit card that is linked to the bank account they have registered with Medicare. Medicare does not pay rebates into credit cards or send cheques to patients. If a patient does not have a debit card linked to a bank account registered with Medicare the practice will provide a paper receipt that the patient can send to Medicare, take in person to a Services Australia office or submit online through the MY GOV / Medicare app.

For Telehealth consultations patients pay by credit card over the phone with Reception or by a secure link. An EFTPOS transaction surcharge paid by the patient applies to all transactions. The patient uses their receipt to claim their Medicare rebate themselves either by mail or in person at a Services Australia office or by the mobile MYGOV Medicare app. The practice does not process the Medicare rebate for Telehealth consultations.

We work by appointments and reserve the appointment especially for the booked patient. We have a wait list and like to fill all appointments times. If you do not arrive without notice to us you may be charged. From 1 November 2023 we have a Did Not Attend Policy with a Did Not Arrive/Attend Fee of $45.00 applicable to both Concessional and Non-Concessional patients with an EFTPOS transaction surcharge paid by the patient. Please refer to the Policy for more information. There is no Medicare rebate for a Did Not Arrive/Attend fee.

The list of most common service item numbers and fees are listed below. A longer list will be available at Reception. The fees will reflect the time taken and the degree of complexity for each consultation. The fees are applicable per patient, not per family. The list of fees and list of patients eligible to be Bulk Billed is subject to change. Non-Concessional patients will need to pay in full on the day of service.

An EFTPOS transaction surcharge for debit and credit cards applies to all transactions and is paid by the patient.	Patient pays on day of service	Medicare rebate	Patient out of pocket amount
STANDARD CONSULT, MBS Item 23	$75.00	$41.40	$33.60
LONG CONSULT, MBS Item 36	$120.00	$80.10	$39.90
PROLONGED CONSULT, MBS Item 44	$160.00	$118.00	$42.00
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG) to graph heart’s activity. Twelve‑lead trace. This is added to a Standard, Long or Prolonged Consult, MBS Item 11707	$40.00	$17.25	$22.75
PREGNANCY TEST. This is added to a Standard, Long or Prolonged Consult, MBS Item 73806	$15.00	$8.65	$6.35
AFTER HOURS CONSULT STANDARD BEFORE 8.00 am WEEKDAYS & ALL DAY SUNDAYS, MBS Item 5020	$100.00	$53.90	$46.10
AFTER HOURS CONSULT LONG BEFORE 8.00 am Weekdays & ALL DAY SUNDAYS, MBS Item 5040	$140.00	$92.45	$47.55
TELEHEALTH TELEPHONE CONSULT MBS Item 91891. Please see the Medicare Rebate Process note for Telehealth consultations.	$75.00	$41.40	$33.60
DRESSING OF BURNS, MBS Item 30003, 30006 or 30007 depending on the extent of the burns	$75.00,  $100.00 or $185.00 depending on the extent of the burns	Item 30003: $34.00, Item 30006:  $43.50, Item 30007: $145.40	Item 30003: $41.00, Item 30006:  $56.50, Item 30007: $39.60
A CONSUMABLES FEE depending on the procedure is added to a consultation.		No Medicare rebate for consumables
Newborn / Infant / Child without a Medicare Card, over the age of 2 months old, who is eligible for a Medicare card but has not yet got one, Standard Consult MBS Item 23. Please scroll down for more information.	$65.00	* $41.40	** 23.60
Newborn / Infant / Child without a Medicare Card, over the age of 2 months old, who is eligible for a Medicare card but has not yet got one, Long Consult MBS Item 36. Please scroll down for more information.	$105.00	* $81.10	** $23.90

All patients will need to keep their details up to date with the practice and Medicare to receive a Medicare rebate. All concessional beneficiaries need to keep their details up to date with the practice and Centrelink/Services Australia and/or DVA to be Bulk Billed. Patients need to have their concession card type, number and expiry date recorded on the practice software. Patients need to register their bank account details with Medicare to receive a Medicare rebate. Medicare does not send cheques or pay cash rebates. Please see Getting Medicare Benefits

Items that do not attract a Medicare contribution:
Employment and insurance medicals, legal reports, medicals for recreational activities and Workcover claims are all privately billed and not receive a rebate from Medicare. Receptionists will advise on the fee for non-bulk-billed services in accordance with our schedule of fees when you book this sort of consultation.
Harness racing, Drag racing and Commercial Drivers License medicals are $150.00 (including GST).
Patients interested in Q Fever testing and Q Fever vaccinations are advised to please ring the surgery for more information about the cost and consultation process.
The administrative cost to prepare your medical records for a different surgery is $44.00 for the full file or $22.00 for a summary.
We do not do Aviation, Boxing or Diving medicals.

Infants and children without a Medicare card
We understand that some parents and carers may feel overwhelmed in the first few weeks and months of caring for a child. We nevertheless require a valid Medicare card number for all infants and children who are treated at the practice if they are to be Bulk Billed. As well as this, having your child registered with Medicare will assist you financially if your infant or child is referred on for tests, scans, or specialist treatment. There are many ways to register a child with Medicare. Please see: Enrolling your baby with Medicare We can hold aside bulk billing claims for an infant until they are 2 months of age.
After this time, if the child does not have a Medicare card number, the parent or carer will be responsible for paying for the consultation on the day of service. A receipt will be given that can then be submitted to Medicare for a rebate when or if the child is registered with Medicare. Any held aside claims which have arisen over the preceding 2 months will also need to be paid in full. The receipt can then be submitted to Medicare within 2 years of the service date when or if the child is registered with Medicare.

Why has the practice changed from Universal Bulk Billing to Mixed Billing?
The Flinders Peak Medical Centre doctors and management held out as a bulk-billing practice for as long as we could. Our priority has always been to look after our patients and serve our community.
Successive government decisions have resulted in Medicare becoming a contribution the government pays eligible patients towards their health care rather than being the source of full funding of every patient’s medical care. The practice was no longer able to provide medical care to patients as a Universal Bulk Billing practice because operational costs for us, like all other businesses, have increased dramatically and Medicare has not kept in line with the Consumer Price Index for many years. Medicare payments, alone, no longer cover the cost of operating a medical practice. These costs include increased costs of employment, IT equipment and support, medical consumables and hardware, insurances, as well as utilities such as electricity, water and phone costs and council rates. These increases have outstripped what we receive from Medicare on behalf of our patients. We understand that the change will affect many patients, but this decision is in line with many of our neighbouring medical practices and follows an Australian-wide trend away from universal Bulk billing for similar reasons. We have taken this decision instead of closing the practice.

Where can I direct my opinions about the change to Mixed Billing?
If you wish to voice your protest about the demise of Medicare Universal Bulk Billing we suggest you contact the Honorable Mark Bulter MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care and/or the Honorable Anne Ruston, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care.