Private Patients
Overview
If you choose to be treated as a private patient, you will be treated at the Avenue Hospital. After discharge, your care will be carried out in either an outpatient clinic (e.g. physiotherapy) or in my private rooms, or uncommonly in a rehabilitation hospital.
Types of Private Patients
This practice caters for a range of Private patients, these include:
- Private Health Insured
- Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)
- Self-Insured (Uninsured)
Private Health Insurance
Private Health Insurance allows you and your family to access the right health services at the right time. You have control of your health care and can choose the provider, facility and timing of your treatment.
Depending on your level of cover, some health funds also require you to pay an hospital excess. We are not responsible for these costs but our staff will do their utmost to guide you through the process.
Our practice accepts most private health insurance programs. Our staff can also help guide you with your claim for benefits, but we remind you that your specific policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company.
Please keep in mind that you are responsible for your insurance coverage. Please confirm with your health fund that you are covered for the “condition” for which you are being treated.
Your policy may base its allowances (surgical refund) on a fixed fee schedule, which may or may not coincide with the AMA (Australian Medical Association) fee schedule.
You should be aware that different insurance companies vary greatly in the types of coverage available. Also, some companies take care of claims promptly while others delay payment for several months.
Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)
The Australian Government’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) provides support to current and former serving members and their families through a range of benefits (including ongoing or one off payments). For further understanding on how you can apply these benefits to our service and the scope of cover please refer to: http://www.dva.gov.au/benefits-and-payments
Self-Insured (Uninsured)
Patients may be able to choose private admission even if they do not have private health insurance. Self-funded patients will be liable to pay the following:
- The gap between the Medicare benefit and any specialist’s charge (what would be covered by health insurance)
- The gap for diagnostic services (medical imaging and laboratory), however some of these services may be bulk billed to Medicare, that is no ‘gap’
- Hospital accommodation fees (bed charge)
- Surgically implanted prostheses
Essentially this means you must meet all costs of the admission yourself except those covered by Medicare.
For further information about being a private patient, and an itemised quote, please contact our rooms.
