Fees and Payments

 

At Deer Park Medical Centre, we understand the importance of providing affordable healthcare to our patients.

After considering rising costs of providing healthcare services and the freeze in the Medicare funding, Deer Park Medical Centre has therefore implemented a mixed billing policy to ensure that all patients have access to quality healthcare while also maintaining the sustainability of our practice. 

Effective from 1st July 2023, Deer Park Medical Centre has implemented a Mixed Billing Policy for After Hours. 

Effective from 15th Nov 2023, Deer Park Medical Centre has implemented a Mixed Billing Policy for All Hours.

 

Bulk Billing 

Bulk Billing is available with Dr Chee King Ng for his existing patients only. 

We will continue to bulk bill if patients fulfil the criteria below:

  • Valid Health Care Card holders 
  • Valid  Pension Card holders
  • Valid  DVA Card holders (Gold Card )
  • Children under the age of 16 with a valid Medicare Card
  • ATSI only if registered under Close the Gap program 
  • Patients attending appointment for a valid Chronic Disease care plan or health assessments, or immunisation including COVID-19 immunisations

Private Billing

For patients who do not fall under the Bulk Billing category, private billing for all consultations will apply. 

 

Private Billing Schedule for Deer Park Medical Centre with Medicare Rebates:

Consultation Type

Fee

Medicare Rebate

Out of Pocket

Brief Phone Consultation
(Less then 6 minutes)

$48.95 $18.95 $30.00

Standard Phone Consultation
(6 to 19 minutes)

$71.40 $41.40 $30.00

Brief Consultation (level A)
(Less then 6 minutes)

$48.95 $18.95 $30.00

Standard Consultation (level B)

(6 to 19 minutes)

$71.40 $41.40 $30.00
Long Consultation (level C)
(20 to 39 minutes)
$110.10 $80.10 $30.00
After Hours Brief Consultation (level A)
(Less then 6 minutes)
$61.90 $31.90 $30.00

After Hours Standard Consultation (level B)

(6 to 19 minutes)

$83.90 $53.90 $30.00
After Hours Long Consultation (level C )
(20 to 39 minutes)
$122.45 $92.45 $30.00

 

Work Cover and TAC Claims

From July 1, 2023, all work cover and TAC patients will be billed privately at Deer Park Medical Centre. Patients will be required to pay for their medical services directly to DPMC at the time of their appointment or as per the billing arrangements agreed upon. 

 

Note

1.5% Tyro Surcharge fee will apply for all credit card payments. 

The Medicare rebate amounts are based on the 2024-2025 Medicare Benefits Schedule, and may be subject to change in the future. The Medicare Rebate is the amount that patients can claim back from Medicare for their consultation fees.
The Out-of-Pocket cost is $30.00 the difference between the fee and the Medicare Rebate.
The patients will need to pay the full consultation fee on the day of their consultation.

Payment Terms

Payment is expected at the time of service. We accept cash, credit card, and EFTPOS. We also offer HICAPS, which enables patients to claim their Medicare rebate on the spot. Patients can also opt to receive the Medicare rebate in their bank account within 1-2 working days, provided their banking details are registered with Medicare. 

We understand that unexpected medical expenses can be a burden, and we encourage patients who are experiencing financial hardship to discuss payment options with our team. 

 

Conclusion

We believe that our mixed billing policy strikes the right balance between providing affordable healthcare to our patients while also ensuring the sustainability of our practice. 

If you have any questions or concerns about our billing policy, please do not hesitate to speak to our friendly reception team.

 

Non-Attendance or Less than 4-Hour Cancellation Policy 

At Deer Park Medical Centre, we understand that sometimes appointments need to be rescheduled or cancelled. However, when a patient does not show up for a scheduled appointment or cancels with less than 4 hours’ notice, it creates an inconvenience for our doctors and staff, and may prevent other patients from receiving timely care. Therefore, we have implemented the following policy for non-attendance or less than 4-hour cancellations: 

 

Non-Attendance: If a patient does not attend a scheduled appointment without any prior notice, a fee of $30 will be charged to the patient's account. This fee will need to be paid before the patient can schedule another appointment.

 

Less than 4-Hour Cancellation: If a patient cancels an appointment with less than 4 hours' notice, they will be charged a fee of $30. This fee will need to be paid before the patient can schedule another appointment.

 

We kindly send SMS reminders as a courtesy, but it is important for patients to actively manage their scheduled appointments. Please be aware that not responding to the SMS reminder does not serve as a notice of cancellation.

If you fail to cancel and/or attend more than two consecutive appointments without prior discussion and agreement with your doctor or our reception staff, Deer Park Medical Centre reserves the right to decline further appointment requests at the clinic. In such a scenario, you may be accommodated as a walk-in patient, which could entail a lengthy wait or, in some cases, being unable to be seen at all.

Early cancellations enable us to offer the appointment slot to another patient on the waiting list. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

 

Deer Park Medical Centre has an appointment system that caters to urgent, non-urgent, complex, planned chronic care, and preventative healthcare needs. Urgent appointments are prioritised, and patients should advise the reception if they require an urgent appointment. The nurse on duty triages urgent appointments. 
Waiting times may occur if GPs are delayed by patients with urgent or complex issues. 


Outstanding Balance Collection and Debt Recovery

At Deer Park Medical Centre, it is our priority to provide exceptional healthcare services to all our patients.

As part of our commitment to financial transparency and sustainability, Deer Park Medical centre has set the procedures for outstanding balance collection and debt recovery.

In the event of unpaid balances, we reserve the right to engage the services of a debt collector, with the associated fees to be borne by the patient.

 

 

Address: T97 Brimbank Shopping Centre (next to Woolworth and Direct Chemist Outlet)
28-72 Neale Road, Deer Park, VIC 3023