Fee and Billing Policy

Sunnybank Eye Doctors is a private billing practice.  All consultations and procedures will incur a fee.  

Each doctor at our practice independently sets their own fee schedule, including if they choose to participate in Known or No Gap surgical procedures with various private health insurance providers, accept Department of Veteran Affairs fees or if they offer discounts to pension card holders.  

Certain tests and procedures may attract a fee in addition to the consultation fee.  In some of these cases this fee is payable direct to the practice to recover the costs of supplying clinical supplies, pharmaceuticals or specialist equipment.  These fees may not attract a Medicare rebate.  

Patients are required to pay their invoice at the time of their consultation.  The practice prefers payment by EFTPOS or credit card (Visa or MasterCard).  Cheques, American Express and Diner’s Card are not accepted.  The practice will provide an itemised invoice and receipt.  

We aim to ensure that patients are informed in advance of the possible costs involved for consultations, procedures, treatments or surgery.  When costs are not known, or relate to a third party (ie. anaesthetist/day surgery facility), we will encourage the patient to make their own enquires and provide contact details, if known.  Where a patient indicates that the anticipated costs pose a barrier to access of treatment, alternative options can be discussed, including referral to the public health system.  

A valid referral is required to claim a Medicare rebate. As a service to our patients, we will usually remind you if your referral is expiring, however, ultimately it is the patient’s responsibility to ensure a valid referral to enable a Medicare rebate.  Referrals from GPs and optometrists are valid for 12 months from the first visit to the specialist. Referrals from a specialist are only valid for 3 months.  Medicare rules stipulate that a referral is usually only valid for a specific condition – if you have developed a new condition or concern, Medicare requires you to obtain a new referral, even if you have a valid referral for the other condition and have previously visited our practice.