Consultations:
What Do I Need To Bring To My Appointment:
You will require a referral from your General Practitioner or Local Hospital. This will allow you to be able to claim your consultation rebates back through Medicare. A standard referral will cover your visits for a period of 12 months. If you have a referral from a Specialist Practitioner, your referral will only be valid for three months.
We would also recommend you bring along any information scans or tests performed regarding your condition. This will allow Dr Melsom to determine your diagnosis and further treatment options.
Our staff will try and obtain as much information as they can over the phone, at the time of booking your appointment to determine if you require any further scanning prior to your appointment. We often request scans be performed prior to your appointment, so this does to delay your treatment.
How Much Will My Consultation Cost?
Our reception staff are able to provide costs for your initial and review consultation at the time of making your appointment. We ask the consultation fees are provided on the day of your appointments. Fees can be paid by cash or credit card (excluding American Express).
Surgery:
When you have surgery, there are a number of fees involved and we do our very best to advise you as accurately as possible of all the potential costs of your procedure prior to surgery. Nevertheless, the actual costs of surgery may vary according to the duration, complexity and findings in each case. As a result, only an estimate can be given of the costs involved. This estimate will include the following foreseeable costs:
Dr Melsom’s Fee (Surgeon’s Fee)
Dr Melsom’s fees are based on those recommended by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) in their list of medical services and fees. Medicare and your Private Health Fund will rebate you a proportion of the costs associated with surgery. The difference between your health fund reimbursement and Dr Melsom’s fee is the ‘Out of Pocket Cost’, which is known as your gap payment.
Anaesthetist Fee
The Anaesthetist charges a separate fee for your procedure and you will be sent a separate invoice for this. There will be an Out of Pocket Cost on this account. It is recommended that you confirm these costs prior to surgery with the appropriate anaesthetic practice:
Anaesthetic Groups we use on a regular basis:
Axxon Heath: Contact: 07 3214 8555
NARKOS: Contact: 07 3281 9444
Surgical Assistant Fee
Many operations require another doctor to assistant Dr Melsom and there is a separate fee for this. The Assistant’s fee will be calculated on Dr Melsom’s estimate of fees.
Hospital and Additional Costs
The hospital will charge you for theatre, accommodation and any prosthesis used. These costs are usually covered by Private Health Insurance. If you do not have Private Health Insurance an estimate of these costs can be obtained from the hospital. Please check with your health fund to ensure you are covered for your predicted surgery.