Our tenant GPs have now returned to mixed billing as government COVID incentives have ceased.

Please call the practice on 8765 0777 or make a booking online for a phone or telehealth consultation.

• - In the case of a phone consultation the doctor will call you close to the designated appointment time. The doctor may decide that you need to come in for further assessment.
• - For video consultations please enter our virtual waiting room 5 minutes prior to the appointment time and you doctor will commence the consultation when ready.

We always welcome new patients.

Fees are listed below. Medicare advises that telehealth and phone consultations for new patients or those not seen face to face in the last 12 months do not attract a Medicare rebate.

Our tenant GPs charge a 'private fee' for GP consultations with the exception of some consultations for children, students and DVA card holders. A Medicare rebate is available for those who are eligible.

GPs may charge a discounted fee or bulk-bill Commonwealth concession card holders (pensioner, disability), and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders.

A 'private fee' means that full payment for the consultation is required on the day. If you are entitled to a Medicare rebate it will be processed automatically and deposited in to your account in 2-3 days. The difference between the paid fee and the rebate received is the 'gap fee'. It is currently illegal to just charge a 'gap fee' and bill the consultation to Medicare.

Please review the schedule of fees above.

Please note that fees for some GP consultations may be covered by insurance, eg. Workplace or motor vehicle injury consultations. In these cases, the patient will be charged the appropriate fees until a claim number has been obtained by the patient.

If you are experiencing financial hardship please discuss this with your GP.

The fees are set by the doctors and reception does not have the authority to alter fees.

Our tenant GPs are unable to provide the care that you deserve if they bulk bill. Bulk billing refers to the practitioner accepting your Medicare rebate as payment for the consultation. Unfortunately, over the years this rebate has barely increased while costs of running a practice have grown at a much greater rate. In fact, for many years Medicare rebates remained 'frozen' while costs of living continued to increase.

The practice is not a government facility but a small business and needs to pay rent, receptionist wages, nurse wages, medical supplies, utilities, accreditation fees, insurance, IT services and equipment, cleaning, etc. You may already be familiar with the discrepancy between specialist fees and low Medicare rebates.

The Medicare rebates are much lower than the AMA (Australian Medical Association) recommended consultation fees. To see the erosion of your Medicare rebate against the CPI over the years see this AMA document.

Other practices have decided to continue to bulk bill but this results in quick turnaround, careless consultations as the volume of consultations has to make up for the low rebates. This is not the way GPs at MedPlaza practise.

If you disagree with the constant erosion of your Medicare rebate we suggest discussing or writing to your local member of parliament.

The doctors bulk bill selected patients from Monday to Friday and all children up to and including age 15. Some GPs may bulk-bill Commonwealth concession card holders (pensioners, disability) or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders.

If you are in financial difficulty please discuss with your doctor. The 'gap fee' is significantly reduced for these patients.

Current legislation makes it illegal to charge a gap fee only. Payment of the full fee must be made at the time of the consultation. If you are eligible for a Medicare rebate, the full rebate amount will be deposited into your account usually within 2-3 days. Please ensure your account details are lodged with Medicare.

Dr Tony Liu, our visiting specialist paediatrician, charges a private fee to be paid at the time of the consultation and a Medicare rebate is available if eligible.

All Allied Health Services, which include podiatry, dietitian, incur a private fee to be paid at the time of the service. Some services may be eligible for a Medicare or DVA rebates for valid cardholders. For some services, patients with private health insurance may receive a rebate (please check with your insurer). Please note that MedPlaza cannot enquire about your cover or dispute your received rebate amount. We use HICAPS to submit these claims to private insurance.

Due to rising operational costs, incl. staff salaries, and ongoing low Medicare rebates, it is no longer financially viable for the practice to open on Saturdays.