Consultations and office based procedures
New patients are seen for a half hour consultation for which the fee is $250 and the Medicare rebate is $86.15. Review patients are scheduled 15 minutely for a fee of $125 and the rebate is $43.35. Discounts are available for valid pension/concession card holders with the new/review rate being $200 and $100 respectively. Fees are subject to change and are reviewed annually in line with the AMA and medicare fee schedules.
A number of minor procedures are often routinely performed during your consultation and these will incur an additional fee. These include:
- Nasendoscopy and videostroboscopy.
- Microscopic ear inspection and cleaning.
- Biopsy of lesions – oral, nasal, skin.
- Grommet insertion under local anaesthesia (in agreeable adults with favourable ear canal anatomy).
- Removal of foreign objects (nose, ear).
- Fine needle or Tru-cut biopsies of large or readily palpable head and neck masses.
- Nasal Cautery for Epistaxis.
Surgical Fees
Nicks surgical fees are generally in line with the annually published AMA (Australian Medical Association) list of surgical fees although for some procedures he charges above this. A full quote will be provided prior to proceeding with any surgical intervention.
Private health insurance does not cover the fees incurred for specialist consultations and in-office minor procedures. For patients requiring surgery however, your health insurance may significantly reduce the out of pocket costs.
What if I don’t have private health insurance?
As a general rule for uninsured patients in Geelong there are three common avenues to surgery as detailed below.
- “Self funded private”. In this situation Nick will be your surgeon, the surgery will be performed at St John of God hospital, and the fee incurred will consist of Nick’s surgical fee, the St John of God Facility Fee, the Anaesthetist Fee and any pathology/radiology fees. Typical wait time to surgery as a private patient is 4-8 weeks from the date of consultation, or scheduled at a later date at your convenience.
- “Private in Public”. In this situation Nick will be the surgeon responsible for your care, the surgery will be performed at Geelong University Hospital, and his Registrar (trainee) will likely be involved in the procedure in some capacity. Nick’s surgical fee is the same however the hospital’s facility fee is significantly less. Cases are triaged according to clinical urgency. The typical wait time for non-urgent cases is 10-12 months.
- “Referral to Outpatients”. For those unable to afford private surgical fees I can arrange a referral to the ENT outpatient department – of note your GP can also refer you there directly. Care in the public sector is in my opinion excellent, and is also free, however you cannot choose who is looking after you and waiting times for non urgent issues can be lengthy. Urgent cases will be seen and attended to promptly.