Changes to our billing policy

 

Changes to our billing policy explained

Effective 1 July 2024, Hampstead Health will increase its fees to a $35 gap including a $8 (inc GST) ‘Practice Administration Fee’ which will be applied to all privately billed consultations

Why are the fees going up?

A number of factors have resulted in the increase in fees including rising operational costs such as staff wages, I.T., insurance, rates, electricity and the Government’s new payroll tax.

The federal government has failed to increase Medicare inline with these higher costs.

The new fee structure will include a $8 (including GST) Practice Administration Fee to cover the increasing cost of running the practice including the new Payroll Tax on doctors that was introduced by the State Government on 1st July 2024.

About Payroll Tax

The South Australian Government has recently made the decision to include payments to doctors for the purpose of calculating Payroll Tax.

Doctors have always been independent practitioners that do not receive holiday, superannuation & other employee entitlements. Despite this, the Malinauskas government have decided that they will treat doctors as employees for the purpose of collecting additional payroll tax.

Payroll Tax on doctors is a tax on health care. While the SA Government has excluded bulkbilling consultations from this tax, to remain viable the practice has no choice but to increase patient fees to cover this massive increase in cost.

Support Primary Healthcare

General Practice is the most efficient means to deliver health care in the community. Hampstead Health fundamentally disagrees with the re-classification of doctors as employees for payroll tax. It will lead to a higher cost to patients & will have a negative impact on the overall health system as more patients opt for public hospital emergency departments.

The practice encourages all patients to object to the introduction of payroll tax on payments to doctors with your local member of parliament. Hampstead Health is in the state electorate of Enfield & the sitting member is Hon Andrea Michaels. Andrea can be emailed at enfield@parliament.sa.gov.au.

 

Practice Fees

From 1st July 2024 there will be a $35 gap fee for face to face and telehealth consultations for patients with a Medicare card

Patients who hold a current Medicare card and are15 years old or younger, healthcare, pension and DVA GOLD / White (eligible conditions) card holders, will continue to be bulk billed at all times.

Please note, payment for the gap fee as well as the Medicare item fee is payable up front at the time of consultation Payments are accepted by credit card, debit card or cash (surcharges apply for card payments)

Patients without a Medicare card will be charged the full fee at the time of the consultation.

*Telephone consultations will also incur a Stripe online payment surcharge

Fee schedule:

Face to face & video consultations –  8am to 5.30 pm weekdays, Saturday before 1pm
Consult Level
(determined by your GP)
Up Front Fee
(Paid on day of consultation)
Medicare Rebate Gap
A $54.60 $19.60 $35
B $77.85 $42.45 $35
C $117.90 $82.90 $35
D $157.15 $122.15 $35

 

Telephone consultations 8am -5.30pm
Consult Level
(determined by your GP)
Up Front Fee
(Paid on day of consultation)
Medicare Rebate Gap

 

Brief consult less than 6 minutes (item 91890) $54.60 $19.60 $35
Extended consult more than 6 minutes (item 91891) $77.85 $42.45 $35

 

Afterhours consultations – From 1pm Saturdays and all day  Sundays and public holidays
Consult Level
(determined by your GP)
Up Front Fee
(Paid on day of consultation)
Medicare Rebate  

Gap

A $68 $33 $35
B $90.80 $55.80 $35
C $130.70 $95.70 $35
D $169.20 $134.20 $35

 

Dr Sanjeev Joshi Skin Procedures Fees Fee
Skin Check $50 Gap fee
Skin Check with Biopsy $50 Gap fee + $25
Simple Procedure $100 + $40 consumable fee
Medium Complexity Procedure $175 Gap fee + $40 consumable fee
Complex Procedure $250 Gap fee + $40 consumable fee

 

Other services or procedures that attract a gap fee Gap Fee
Antenatal Share Care (5 visits from 20 weeks of pregnancy) $60
Implanon insertion and/or removal $50
Mirena insertion $150
Iron infusion $138
Skin procedures $100
Mental Health Care Plans $35
Biopsies $25
Procedure consumables $20

 

Eftpos 0.80%

Stripe 1.75% + 30 cents

Credit and debit card surcharges
Mastercard credit 1.8% Visa credit 1.8%
Mastercard debit 1% Visa debit 1%
UnionPay credit 1.5% UnionPay debit 0.80%