We will make every effort to ensure you are able to see your usual doctor when you make an appointment, if not on the day, then within a few days at most. We are a small team, so on-the-day emergencies will be seen by your own doctor where possible or by one of the other members of our team if your doctor is not immediately available.
Book an appointment
Our standard consultations are a little longer than most at 20 minutes and we allow 30 minutes for longer consultations and more complex issues. At Barwon Heads Family Practice, all of our contracting GPs are local and dedicated to providing continuity of care to their patients. This allows you to build a relationship with a regular doctor each time you visit us, with longer consults offered when you need them.
Fees
Barwon Heads Family Practice is a private billing practice. This means that most consultations with the Doctor will attract an out of pocket fee – the amount that you pay minus the Medicare rebate.
We keep our ‘out of pocket’ fee the same across our range of routine consultations, which means that we can provide the complexity of care that you need and you don’t have to worry about extra cost.
Children under 16 and Pension or Health Care Card holders will have a reduced fee.
‘Out of pocket’ fee refers to the amount that you pay minus the rebate which is set by Medicare who pay it directly to your bank account.
Our routine consultation costs are listed below:
$53
$92.75 payable on the day.
You get $39.75 rebate
from Medicare
$129.95 payable on the day.
You get $76.95 rebate
from Medicare
$155.90 payable on the day.
You get $102.90 rebate
from Medicare
$43
$82.75 payable on the day.
You get $39.75 rebate
from Medicare
$119.95 payable on the day.
You get $76.95 rebate
from Medicare
$145.90 payable on the day.
You get $102.90 rebate
from Medicare
$33
$72.75 payable on the day.
You get $39.75 rebate
from Medicare
$129.95 payable on the day.
You get $76.95 rebate
from Medicare
$135.90 payable on the day.
You get $102.90 rebate
from Medicare
$73
$53
Additional fees apply to most procedures and infusions to cover the cost of dressings and medical consumables used during the course of your treatment.
Some private vaccinations can be purchased directly from our practice at standard pharmacy rates.
We accept most forms of payment including credit and cash.*
When you have seen the doctor via telephone or video consultation, payments can be made over the phone.
*credit card surcharges apply
Telehealth Appointments
With the ever changing COVID-19 pandemic impacting our clinic, we appreciate your understanding as we continue to adjust the types of appointments we offer. We endeavour to see any patients who need a face-to-face consultation, however there are times when we will recommend either telehealth or video consultation in the first instance.
Please note that standard consultation fees apply to these appointment types. Known patients to the clinic can still claim their Medicare rebate over the phone. Unfortunately, Medicare will not currently provide a rebate to any patient who has not attended the practice in the past 12 months.
We appreciate that you may have a medical concern that needs to be dealt with in-person, or you may be vision or hearing impaired and cannot use telehealth. If this is the case, please contact our team on 03 4244 1030 and we’ll find the right appointment for you.
Respiratory illnesses
At Barwon Heads Family Practice, we wish to offer appropriate and safe care to the entire community.
If you have a cough, cold, flu-like illness or have had contact with a person confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 we ask that you follow current public health guidance. This usually means having a home Rapid Antigen Test. If you need a formal PCR test, there are dedicated clinics to provide this service locally, and some will offer a brief medical assessment at the same time as your PCR swab if you request it.
If you wish to see one of our team but are experiencing respiratory symptoms, we are always happy to consider this and have a dedicated area in our clinic to safely assess patients who need this service. Please either book an initial telephone consultation or call our clinic to explain your situation and we will make sure you get appropriate medical care in the safest way possible and when you need it.
Medicare
Medicare card holders can expect a rebate for most consultations. The amount you will be eligible for is set out by Medicare and depends on the length and complexity of your consultation and any additional services provided. The Medicare rebate is not designed to cover the entire cost of the consultation which is why an “out of pocket fee” or gap payment applies to most consultations.
If you are a Medicare card holder, the rebate amount will be credited to the debit card or bank account you have registered with Medicare.
If you have reached your threshold for the year, your rebate will be greater and you will pay less out of pocket fees.
If you don’t have a Medicare card, your consultation cost will depend on many factors including duration of appointment, whether you have insurance and the reason for your appointment. Speak to our friendly team for more information.
Information on claiming your Medicare benefits can be found here
A guide for patients on how health care is funded can found here
*The out of pocket fee is the final cost to you following the Medicare rebate.
New patients
We welcome new patients and look forward to helping you. We recommend starting with a longer consultation, particularly so we can discuss your family history and any pre-existing medical conditions.
Please try and arrive five minutes early to fill out a New Patient Registration Form. Don’t forget to bring your ID and Medicare card with you for your first appointment.
