Referrals
Before seeing any medical specialist, it is always preferable to talk to your own family doctor, who can discuss your condition with you and advise on whether any specialist care is appropriate.
If it is, he or she can help you to choose the specialist best suited to your needs.
Your family doctor can help the specialist to care for you better by providing relevant information about your health. Communicating with the specialist will also enable your family doctor to care for you better during and after your specialist treatment.
Most medical specialists will accept only referred patients. This is partly to try to ensure that the specialist you are seeing is appropriate for you and your condition, and also because Medicare pays higher rebates for specialist services if you have been referred.
To book an appointment with Dr Nathan, we require a valid Referral letter from your GP or referring specialist (or ensure that a referral has been sent to us directly).
Private Health Insurance
Private Health insurance allows you and your family to access the right health services at the right time. You have control of your health care and can choose the health care provider, facility and timing of your treatment. With the security and protection of private health insurance, you have access to an extensive range of private hospitals and can be rest assured that your health is in good hands.
Consultation and in-room fees
Consultation fees are payable at the end of your consultation. In most instances there will be a portion of your consultation fee, which will not be covered by Medicare.
We utilize Medicare Easyclaim, which allows patients to receive their Medicare rebate on the spot at our surgery.
For more information on Medicare easy claim visit the Medicare Website.
Note:
Patients may be eligible for a Medicare Telehealth if at the time of the consultation, they are located within a Telehealth eligible area and at least 15km by road from Dr Tim Nathan’s rooms. Please check with our receptionist for more information about eligibility.
Billing for surgical procedures
Surgeon
Fees for surgical procedures and operations in most instances are partially covered by Medicare and your private health insurance. The standard fee charged in this office is the Australian Medical Association recommended fee. Generally Medicare and your private health insurance will pay for a substantial part of the surgical fee, but in many cases there will be a GAP. A quote covering the proposed fees will be issued after you have discussed the details of the procedure with Dr Nathan. In some circumstances Dr Nathan will provide "No-Gap" or "Known-Gap" services on a case-by-case basis
If you have any queries about fees please discuss this with our friendly staff who will help you navigate your way through the informed financial consent. Depending on your family circumstances, you may be eligible to claim a tax offset for the net medical expenses you have incurred. For further information please visit the ATO Website.
Note: All payments are required at least 2 days prior to your procedure.
Anaesthetist
We will provide you the contact details for your anaesthetist so a quote can be sought for their fees.
Surgical assistant
In some instances, an assistant is required to perform your procedure. The fee for the assistant is generally no more than 20% of the surgeon’s fees.
Other fees
These may include medications, blood tests, x-rays and anatomical pathology (if a surgical specimen is sent to the pathologist).
Payment Methods
We accept the following Payment Methods:
- Cash.
- Bank or Personal Cheque.
- Credit Card – including VISA and MasterCard. We do accept American Express (AMEX) but there is a 1.5% surcharge.
- Electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS).
- Direct deposit via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) via:
Name: Dr Timothy Nathan
Bank Name: Commonwealth Bank
BSB: 064 424
Account No: 1046 1828
Note: We do not accept Diners Club.