Frequently Asked Questions

How soon can you be seen?

Your referring GP/Physio will usually advise on the referral if your appointment is required on an urgent basis. For initial consultations your doctor aims to see all new patients as soon as possible to treat your concerns in a timely manner. After reviewing the referral our team may call you to advise a further xray or scan prior to your initial consultation in order to streamline your care.

Do you need a referral?

Yes, your doctor is classified as a medical specialist and as such you are eligible for a Medicare Rebate on initial and review consultations with your doctor, only if you have an eligible referral from a GP or other Specialist. Your doctor can offer a consultation without a referral but you cannot access Medicare Rebate in this circumstance.

What do you need to bring to the initial consultation?

Referral
Medicare Card
Private Health Fund Card if applicable
Department of Veterans Affairs Card if applicable
Medical History
Medications
X-rays or any scans you have completed recently or in the last 6 months
Other reports or clinical photos from GPs, Physio or Specialists
Diary/Phone Diary to be able to book a surgical date
Please bring a support person if you feel the need to have in consultation

How long does an initial consultation take?

Allow 10 minutes before your appointment time to complete your medical history and personal details forms. Initial standard consultations with your doctor are approx 20 mins for routine surgical procedures.

What is the cost of the initial consultation?

We deliver exceptional care at the most reasonable cost to our patients.

Most Australians understand that Medicare rebates alone do not cover the costs of opening a specialist practice so our routine is to charge a gap on our consultation fees.

Standard initial consultation fee is $280 for a 20 min appointment. You will receive approximately $80.85 rebate from Medicare if you provide an eligible referral.

Review consultations fee is $180 and you will receive approximately $40.65 rebate from Medicare if you have an existing eligible referral provided at the initial consultation.

To reduce your fees the we have spent a lot of time developing a great resource of content on our website to educate you and answer a lot of common questions prior to your appointment to avoid extended consultation fees.

If you provide us with your Medicare details on the day with your eligible referral then in most cases, we can process this transaction through to Medicare on your behalf and the rebate can be transferred directly to your account.

Can you just get a quote over the phone prior to consultation?

Our reception team cannot advise a quote because the complexity or duration of your required surgery cannot be anticipated from the referral alone and by non-medical practice staff.

Treatment advice is only advised by your doctor after your opinions, history, examination and x rays/scans have been reviewed with you.

Once you have had all the treatment options discussed with and have chosen a treatment path and provided informed consent to a procedure, only then can a quote be prepared for you by the administration team and informed financial consent be completed.

Do you have to pay upfront for your surgical procedure?

Payment for surgical procedures completed in accredited day surgery or private hospital will be required in full, one week in advance of the surgical booking (unless Dr Graham is using the "no gap"" scheme through your Health Fund). In this setting you will also have an Anaesthetist Medical Fee, Assist Surgeon Medical Fee and your Hospital Fee (or Hospital Insurance Excess if you have maintained a Private Health Hospital Policy).

If you have any questions regarding your fees, please contact one of our friendly team on (02) 8893 4900 to assist your understanding of the rebates available and methods of payment available.

Do you need to coordinate the Hospital and Anaesthetist?

No. Our team will coordinate the hospital and anaesthetist for your procedure after you have advised if you have a preferred site. Some procedures only have equipment at certain sites but for routine cases you will have a choice of where you want your procedure done and a day that suits you.

For quotation of the hospital fee and the anaesthetist fee you will have to confirm you details with both the hospital and anaesthetic practice if you want precise quotation.

Part of our exceptional care model is to streamline your journey to your desired surgical outcome so if there is any confusion please contact our friendly team on (02) 8893 4900 to discuss how we can assist further.

Can you still be treated if you don’t have Private Health Insurance?

Yes. Our Practice treats many uninsured and self-insured patients.

You will be still be eligible for assistance from Medicare if you attend to your consultation with an eligible referral. If the procedure is a medical procedure, then you will receive Medicare rebates.

If you don’t have a Private Health Insurance Hospital Policy that means you will need to rent the theatre and staff of the accredited day surgery or private hospital via a facility fee.

The fees set by the accredited day surgery or private hospital will depend on the item number of the procedure. If you are uninsured or self-insured, you will need to get a quote from the day surgery or private hospital to know your exact fees and any overnight stay would add to the facility fee each night of the stay so ask your surgeon if you are likely to need an overnight admission.

If you don’t have a Private Health Insurance then you will not receive any rebates for your procedure for your hospital stay and theatre usage.