Fees and Billing

Balranald Medical Centre has a mixed-billing payment model which means there will be an out-of-pocket fee for some patients for routine consultations. Given the significant investment in setting up this new medical practice in a MMM 6 rural and remote area in 2024, the amount Medicare pays for each appointment does not cover the costs of running a medical practice. These costs include staff wages, medical and IT equipment and support, rent and utilities, all of which have increased significantly over the last few years.

To minimise the impact of an out-of-pocket expense, we will bulk bill (not charge out-of-pocket costs) GP consultations for:

  • All children under 16 years (15 years and younger) of age are eligible for the bulk billing incentive*
  • Patients eligible for the bulk billing incentive with a Centrelink Concession Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card.
  • Veterans with a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) white or gold card.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients*
  • Specific services such as chronic disease care plans, mental health care plans and health assessments
  • Any patient with a current Covid infection
  • Annual Heart Health Checks**
  • Mandatory drivers license medicals for private grade licenses (please note commercial drivers medicals incur a fee and don’t have a Medicare rebate)

Please note that we are happy to consider our fees for our regular patients who are under financial stress. Please don’t hesitate to discuss this with us. All other patients incur a private fee.

Please note that all new patients will be charged the full private fee for their first visit. As Dr Vitalis is new to the practice and only just starting operations from December 2024, all patients will incur this initial full private fee. This initial fee is necessary as there is much administration and clinical time required to set patients up in our system and to capture all medical history.

**Medicare restricts this service (item) number to once a year

GP Consultations

The following fees will apply from Monday 2nd December 2024 for patients ineligible for bulk billing. They also apply to all new patients for their first visit (subsequent consultations will be charged depending on their eligibility for bulk billing).

Type of consultation Fee Medicare rebate Out of pocket cost
Face to face and telehealth standard consultation
$80
$42.85
$37.50
Face to face and telehealth long consultation
$130
$82.90
$47.10
Face to face and telehealth extended consultation
$180
$122.15
$57.85
Face to face consultation 1 hour and longer
$265
$197.90
$67.10
Chronic disease management plans, mental health care plans, 45-49 year old health assessments and cardiovascular health assessment
Bulk billed