Everything You Need To Know
Fee & Subsidy Information
There are a number of fees associated with specialist treatment; however, you may be eligible for a variety of subsidies to assist with covering these costs.
Should you have any questions about these fees or require additional information, please feel free to speak with your specialist's clinical administration assistant.
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Consultation Fees
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation requires a referral. Referrals from a General Practitioner are valid for twelve months, and for three months from a Specialist. An extended period of time is allocated for the initial consultation and therefore a higher fee is charged.
Subsequent Consultations
You may need to return for subsequent consultations following your initial appointment. This may be required to discuss test results, investigations and ongoing monitoring of your condition. A lower fee is charged for these consultations as less time is usually allocated.
Post-Operative Consultation
The early post-operative care consultation is included in the fee for surgery (this includes the in-hospital care). In some cases, further care is required in hospital which may incur additional costs.
Our Billing Guideline
Briz Brain & Spine choose to use the Australian Medical Association as a guideline for billing purposes. For additional information regarding patient fees please contact our office and one of our team members will be able to assist in your enquiry.
On completion of each consultation, you will be issued with an invoice and required to pay at the time of the visit. You may pay by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or credit card (MasterCard or Visa). Once this is finalised, our receptionist will submit the claim to Medicare for processing of your rebate.
Claims
If you have submitted a WorkCover Claim or Third Party Claim, you will need to bring your Claim Number, contact details of the assigned Case Manager, and current WorkCover Certificate to the consultation. The account will be the responsibility of the patient and will require payment at the time of consultation.
If the account is to be paid by another person, business or employer, written authorisation is to be provided at the time of consultation and will be required to be pre-paid prior to the consultation.
Surgical Fees
Estimating Cost
Briz Brain & Spine aims to ensure our patients are informed of the associated surgical medical expenses. We encourage our patients to discuss these costs with a team member at Briz Brain & Spine before your procedure date to be sure you understand what you will be liable to pay. The estimate of fees will be provided to you prior to your elective surgery.
In an emergency or at times out of normal business hours, it is not always possible to give an estimate of fees prior to surgery. This can be provided the next business day. Unless specified, the estimate refers only to the fees charged by this practice (including surgical assist fees and Neurosurgical Nurse Practitioner fee). It does NOT cover services provided by other doctors, including anaesthetists, radiologists, nuclear physicians and pathologists, nor other costs associated with your stay in the hospital (e.g. accommodation, pharmacy, and physiotherapy).
Please be aware that this is an estimate only and the actual costs may differ from the estimate due to unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the procedure.
In this instance it may be necessary to arrange additional medical services which you will be held liable to pay.
The Medical Gap
What is the Medical Gap?
The Medical Gap is a term used to describe the amount a patient pays when a doctor charges over the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS).
The MBS is a list of procedures compiled and updated by the Commonwealth Government.
How it works
Each surgical procedure is allocated an Item Number and Fee - The Medicare Schedule fee. The Medicare Schedule fee is the amount the Federal Government is willing to contribute to each item.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) also publishes recommended fees for medical services and Briz Brain & Spine use these fees as a guide.
Patient Transport Subsidy Scheme
What is the Patient Transport Subsidy Scheme?
The Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS) provides financial support for travel and accommodation to eligible patients who need to travel to access specialist medical services.
Queensland-based patients who need to travel more than 50km to access private specialist medical services may be eligible to receive a subsidy for travel, accommodation or support services such as an escort.
How it works
To be considered for one of these subsidies, patients must register with the PTSS either before the initial appointment or within 12 months of seeing the specialist.
For further information about the scheme or to register, please visit: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/services/travel/subsidies