Fees
Important Information for our Valued Patients
Elder St Practice is a private fee billing family practice. We welcome and provide quality medical care to everyone. It is important that you understand the fee for your consultation. Because our doctors set and charge their fees individually, we can only provide a guide. Your fee may vary by doctor and services provided.
The fee guideline is the minimum amount you should expect to be charged for your consultation.
Drs Brentnall, Hollier, Middleton and Schofield have individual fee schedules that reflect the particular focuses of their practices. Information about their fees, billing and appointments can be viewed via these links.
Dr Brentnall - Drs Hollier and Middleton - Dr Schofield
Payment Process
Medicare will deposit the Rebate in your bank account, normally within a few working days.
Financial Hardship
We do not want financial hardship to prevent you from receiving medical care.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please do not hesitate to speak to your doctor or Reception.
Dr Brentnall’s Fees List 2024
It is important that you have an informed idea of the potential costs of your consultation and services. All consults vary in complexity and length so these fees are to be used as a guide. If you have a concession card, you may be eligible for a reduced fee
Any additional services or procedures provided in addition to a routine consult may incur additional fees.
Money should never stand between you and good healthcare. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please speak with reception or Dr. Brentnall to discuss payment options.
FAQ’S
Do you do phone consults?
Phone consults are a convenient way to provide some healthcare services, but do not replace in person assessment in many circumstances.
You are welcome to book a phone consult, but please be advised that your issue may require an in-person assessment at Dr. Brentnall’s discretion, which would require another appointment.
What if I only need a script?
Script repeats are a good opportunity for you and your doctor to thoroughly review the other important ‘non-medication’ elements of your healthcare. It is advised that you book a standard consult for script repeats, unless advised otherwise by Dr. Brentnall.
What if I only need a referral?
Sometimes patients have an ongoing relationship with a specialist and are advised that they require a new referral prior to their next appointment. Please advise reception if this is the case as these cases are very suitable for a brief phone consult.
You will need to book a standard appointment if you require a new or renewed mental health care plan, or a referral to a specialist for a new issue.
Do you bulk bill kids?
All routine childhood immunisations are bulk billed by Dr. Brentnall. Dr. Brentnall bulk bills most consultations for infants and toddlers, but longer consultations will likely incur a fee.
How much will my procedure cost me?
Dr. Brentnall aims to provide patients with a quote for their out of pocket cost in advance of their planned procedures. Occasionally a biopsy or small procedure is offered on the spot, this is likely to incur an additional cost between $30 and $50.
Appointment Information for Dr Hollier and Dr Middleton
Booking Appointment Times
To assist Drs Hollier and Middleton in keeping to time, please book appropriately for your issue.
Generally, a simple issue will require 15 minutes (standard), whilst >2 issues, or mental health (including scripts) will require 30 minutes.
Consultation lengths may differ from the booking based on what is covered during the appointment. You may be asked to return for a later appointment if your needs exceed the time allocated.
Drs Hollier and Middleton will commonly enquire about your wider health and relationships. Holistic and preventative healthcare is important and is expected to be a contributor to the time and cost of all consultations. Please let your doctor know during the consultation if you need to keep the appointment brief or subjects arise that you don't wish to discuss.
Preparing for your Appointment / What to bring
24 hours before your consultation, you will receive a text which gives you the opportunity to list issues you would like to discuss in the consultation. Please take the time to fill this in.
If you are requiring a mental health prescription, assessment, or referral, please state “Mental Health Assessment” and fill out the K10 questions that follow to expedite your consultation.
Appointment Fee Estimates
Your appointment billing is based on the time you spend with Dr Hollier or Dr Middleton, separated into mental and physical issues.
Drs Hollier and Middleton’s fee is based on your out-of-pocket expense (or gap fee), and is time-based, linear and predictable to maximise fairness and transparency.
General practice appointments vary greatly in length and complexity and the fee is calculated according to the length of your actual consultation, rather than booking time.
Medicare MBS Rebates (the government’s contribution to your healthcare) represent a significant variable in the total cost for your appointment. MBS rebates vary according to time spent:
- Which specific health issues are covered during consultation (eg. physical health and mental health components each have separate rebates and impact the total cost)
- Surgical, nursing and dressing fees
- Care Plans
* NB - Multiple MBS Rebates
Beyond the timed MBS rebates above, an additional mental health rebate of $78.95 often applies to relevant consultations >25 minutes.
Multiple MBS rebates may apply to surgical procedures, and other treatments or consultation items.
Multiple relevant MBS rebates impact the total payable, but are fully rebated and will not increase your out-of-pocket expense.
Financial Hardship
- Drs Hollier and Middleton will prioritise your health care regardless of your financial means.
- Inadequate MBS indexation has meant that ‘bulk billing’ (accepting the Medicare rebate as payment for the consultation) has become financially unsustainable for general practices to remain viable.
- Please discuss cases of severe hardship with Dr Hollier or Dr Middleton at the time of consultation.
- Drs Hollier and Middleton have taken the unusual step of offering a billing discount means test to calculate potential reductions for your out-of-pocket GP costs.
- For those experiencing financial hardship, discounted fees can be applied for in advance (allow 48 hours) by scanning the QR code below or visiting https://form.jotform.com/213426994791064
Cancellation Policy
- Appointments should be cancelled as early as possible, with a 2 hour minimum requested.
- Non-attended appointments that are cancelled without notice will be billed as per the booked appointment.
- Compassionate grounds may be considered. When appropriate, your cancellation fee may be credited toward future consultation gap fees.
- Drs Hollier and Middleton enjoy partnering with you using a bio/psycho/social/spiritual health paradigm.
Please contact the practice if you require any further information.
Appointment Information for Dr Schofield
Booking Lengths – A Guide to Booking
- Appointment slots can be booked in lengths of 10, 15, 20 or 40 minutes. (20 minutes = standard)
- Consultation lengths may differ from the booking based on what is covered during the appointment.
- Your doctor may ask you to return for a later appointment if your needs exceed what is possible in the time available for your initial appointment.
- Dr Schofield will commonly inquire about your wider health and relationships. Holistic and preventative healthcare is important and is expected to be a contributor to the time and cost of all consultations. Please let your doctor know during the consultation if you need to keep the appointment brief or subjects arise that you don't wish to discuss.
- Most people find it helpful to start a consultation by sharing a list of issues they hope to cover in the appointment.
- In general, shorter appointments should be used for a single issue, longer appointments are more suitable to cover numerous smaller concerns or those of greater complexity such as relationship or mental health concerns.
Please use the following table when deciding your appointment booking. (NB new patient timings)
Preparing for your Appointment / What to bring
- New patients - please pre-arrange for your full file to be sent across - CONSENT FORM
- It may be helpful to write down a list of concerns you wish to cover in your appointment - discuss this with your doctor at the start of the consultation so that you can both use your appointment time well. 24 hours before your appointment you will receive an SMS invitation to compose a helpful digital list and it will be sent to Dr Schofield.
- If you are presenting for a Mental Health Treatment Plan, please bring the following:
- Goals that you would like to accomplish with planned counselling
- For issues related to stress, anxiety or depression please complete the DASS21: https://www.mdapp.co/dass-21-depression-anxiety-stress-scale-212/
Next, click the print button to print or email to - For new plans, consider if you have a specific psychologist you would like see (you may book in advance, as long as your MHTP is completed prior to your psychologist appointment)
- Bring information about mental health concerns in your family that you’re aware of.
Appointment Fee Estimates
- Your appointment is billed based on your out-of-pocket expense (or gap fee). Your gap fee is time-based, linear and predictable - to maximise fairness and transparency.
- General practice appointments vary greatly in length and complexity. In light of this, the gap fee is calculated directly according to the length of your actual consultation, rather than booking time. (Thus, a 40 minute booking slot will be cheaper than expected if a consultation lasts only 20 minutes. Similarly, your gap fee will be higher if the issues discussed during a short booking slot require an extended length of consultation.)
- Medicare MBS Rebates are separate for mental and physical illnesses, for care plans and surgical fees. Multiple MBS component items and MBS’s uneven time intervals can cause significant variability in MBS rebates, impacting total cost for your appointment. Despite this, you will only ever be out of pocket the time-based gap, as the MBS component will be fully rebated as the government’s contribution to your health costs.
- Children’s vaccinations and newborn checks are ‘bulk billed’ by Dr Schofield. Other child health appointments are billed with a reduced gap.
* NB - Multiple MBS Rebates
Beyond the timed MBS rebates above, an additional mental health rebate of $78.95 often applies to relevant consultations >25 minutes.
Multiple MBS rebates may apply to surgical procedures, and other treatments or consultation items.
You will only ever be charged one gap fee, even if numerous MBS rebates apply
Multiple relevant MBS rebates impact the total payable, but are fully rebated and will not increase your out-of-pocket expense.
Financial Hardship
- Dr Schofield will prioritise your health care regardless of your financial means.
- Inadequate MBS indexation has meant that ‘bulk billing’ (accepting the Medicare rebate as payment for the consultation) has become financially unsustainable for general practices to remain viable and can’t be offered except in the case of severe hardship.
- Dr Schofield has taken the unusual step of offering a billing discount means test to calculate potential reductions for your out-of-pocket GP costs.
- For those experiencing financial hardship, discounted fees can be applied for in advance (allow 48 hours) by scanning the QR code below or visiting https://form.jotform.com/213426994791064
Cancellation Policy
- Appointments should be cancelled as early as possible, with a 2 hour minimum requested.
- Non-attended appointments that are cancelled without notice will be billed as per the booked appointment.
- Compassionate grounds may be considered. When appropriate, your cancellation fee may be credited toward future consultation gap fees.
Dr Schofield looks forward to supporting and partnering with you to optimise your health by using a holistic, individually tailored bio/psycho/social/spiritual approach.
Please contact the practice if you have any questions or require any further information.
