Some of the common questions related to fees:

Q. What are you covered for?

Before you go into hospital for any proposed treatment as a private patient, it's your right to ask your doctor about his or her fees and to find out about the fees of other doctors who might be involved in your care. You should also ask your health fund about what you are covered for and whether you will have any out-of-pocket costs to pay.

Q. What is the fee scale?

Unlike other services, anaesthetists (as with other professional medical specialists) do not have a standard scale of fees. The fee charged by your anaesthetist is related to the Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) number or the Relative Value Guide (RVG) number.

Q. What is a 'gap'?

You should be aware of the cost of your anaesthesia before your private medical procedure. You should also be aware that Medicare and health fund rebates may not cover the entire cost of your anaesthesia. This difference between the anaesthetist's fee and your rebates is the 'gap' and will be your personal responsibility to pay. The size of the 'gap' varies greatly depending on your health fund. There will be a separate fee from your anaesthetist for the anaesthesia services provided to you.

Q. Why is there a 'gap'?

“Out of pocket” or “gap” expenses occur because Government legislated rebates from Medicare and Private Health Funds have failed to increase in line with medical practice costs (especially compulsory Medical Indemnity Insurance, staff salaries and inflation) since the very beginning of Medicare. Nor have they kept up with increases in Average Weekly Earnings or the Consumer Price Index.

Q. What will the exact 'gap' amount be?

It is not possible to provide an exact gap prior to the procedure as the fee is affected by duration of anaesthesia, whether in hours or out of hours, age, physical status and any other interventions required to provide safe anaesthesia. Whether there will be a gap and the size of the gap varies greatly depending on your health fund. It is also usual for the gap to be larger when the surgery is of long duration.

Q. Can I get an estimate of the fees?

Wherever possible you should contact us to obtain an estimate of the anaesthesia fees, including Medicare item numbers, prior to your procedure. This information will allow you to enquire from your health fund about the level of benefits available to you. Your safety and satisfaction are the prime concerns. However, for Private Patients, the Government and other parties require that financial issues be addressed and that patients receive an estimate of their anaesthesia fees, where possible.

Q. When should I get an estimate of the fees?

Whenever possible we attempt to provide you with an estimate of your anaesthesia fees prior to your procedure, as well as providing you with other useful information such as Medicare item numbers. This will allow you to enquire further from your health fund about the level of benefits available for your procedure. However if you haven’t been given an estimate of your costs or have any enquiries relating to anaesthesia fees you should contact us before your procedure.