Why do I need a referral?
A valid referral is needed to access Medicare rebates for services provided by your paediatrician. A GP referral is valid for 12 months and a specialist referral for 3 months. You can be seen by your paediatrician without a valid referral, but cannot claim the Medicare rebate until there is a valid referral in place, meaning you are responsible for the full fee. GPs cannot be asked to provide a referral after the consultation has taken place (‘backdated referral’).
If your referral has expired or you are coming to see your paediatrician for a new problem, a new referral is required. You cannot claim the Medicare rebate to see your paediatrician for a new problem under the referral for a past problem.
If you are seeing us for the first time, an appointment will not be made until you have sent us your referral – this is to ensure that you’re seeing the right person, at the right time.
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What is General Paediatrics?
General Paediatrics is a broad field delivering comprehensive care across many acute and chronic illnesses. General Paediatricians provide expert diagnosis and management for children from birth through to adolescence, as they have the experience and knowledge to provide high quality care for complex conditions, for children who need further assessment to find the cause of problems, and those who require the input of multiple medical and surgical specialists. General Paediatricians provide guidance and leadership while advocating for the child as they work closely with families, general practitioners, other specialists, therapists and educators.
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What are your fees?
We are a private specialist practice, which means that we do not bulk bill.
Fees will vary depending on which specialist you see and whether you are seen for a new problem or for follow-up, as well as the complexity of your child’s condition. Please discuss our fees with our helpful reception staff, who will be happy to answer your questions including the ‘gap’ that is payable.
We ask that your consultation fees are settled in full at the time of your appointment. If you are experiencing financial difficulties please discuss this with our reception staff prior to booking your appointment. We accept EFTPOS, MasterCard and Visa payments. We do not accept cash payments.
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What is the Medicare rebate?
Medicare covers some of the cost of seeing a doctor and this is called the Medicare rebate. Unfortunately, the rebate has not kept up with the costs of running a medical practice and so there is a fee that is payable for your child’s consultation – the ‘gap’ fee.
If your medical costs are high because of lots of appointments or tests, there is additional support available from Medicare once you have met the threshold in a calendar year, the ‘Medicare Safety Net’. You still pay the same up-front fee but the rebate is higher and so your ‘out-of-pocket’ or ‘gap’ fee is lower. For further information and to register for the Medicare Safety Net you can click on this link: Medicare Safety Net
The Extended Medicare Safety Net further supports you in paying out-of-pocket expenses once you reach an additional threshold. For further information see Extended Medicare Safety Net and Extended safety net thresholds
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How long is my appointment, and how many will I need?
Getting to know your child and family is very important to us and a vital part of formulating a comprehensive diagnosis and management plan. Health issues can be complex and that’s why we take the time to explore your concerns – up to an hour for your initial appointment and up to half an hour for subsequent visits.
Depending on the diagnosis and the complexity of your child’s health needs, it may take several visits to fully evaluate all your concerns. Often, ongoing monitoring of your child’s condition and their response to management is necessary. Sometimes that relationship lasts throughout their childhood, while with other issues just a few appointments are required.
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Do you run on time?
We know your time is valuable and so make every effort to run on time. Sometimes though, unforeseen problems do occur or unexpectedly complex issues arise that require additional attention and we ask for your patience when these delays occur. If a doctor is running well behind time we will endeavour to call you to let you know before you arrive.
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Do you give phone or email advice and results?
Excellent care is our priority and we have found that it is not possible to provide the level of care we would like to without a face-to-face or formal telehealth visit.
In most cases, you will be asked to make a follow-up appointment to allow us to discuss the results of your child’s tests and what they mean for your child’s ongoing health and wellbeing. At times it may be appropriate for you to follow-up results with your referring doctor and this will be discussed with you at your appointment.
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Can you write my child a repeat script without an appointment? what about other paperwork?
Many of the medications prescribed by paediatricians are restricted medicines, cannot legally be prescribed without regular patient reviews and will require an appointment for prescription.
Repeat prescriptions for other medications can often be done by your GP. It’s a good idea to have regular reviews with your GP – this may be a great opportunity to do so. If you would like your paediatrician to prescribe medications outside of appointment times, there is a fee for this service and we require at least 2 weeks’ notice. Before providing a repeat prescription your clinician needs to review your child’s file and decide whether the medication is still appropriate; if this is unclear you will be asked to make a review appointment.
Prescriptions can usually be sent as electronic prescriptions if you have given consent for us to do so.
Other paperwork, such as lost pathology and imaging requests, may be provided out of appointment times at the clinicians’ discretion and will incur an administration fee. Complex paperwork including NDIS access requests requires an appointment due to the time taken to complete these forms.
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What if we can’t attend a booked appointment?
We ask that you give us at least 5 business days’ notice if you are unable to attend. This allows us to offer the appointment to another child and family who are waiting to be seen. If you cancel or reschedule your/your child’s appointment with less than 5 business days’ notice, you will be charged a cancellation fee or be asked to pre-pay your next visit. Please see our cancellation policy below.
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Does my child have to attend the appointment?
It can be difficult to discuss all your concerns with your child present and we understand that. It may be helpful to bring along a trusted family member or friend who can sit with your child in the waiting area if you would like to speak to your paediatrician alone. It is generally necessary for your paediatrician to speak with and examine your child in the process of formulating a list of concerns and possible diagnoses. Not having your child present for the consultation may prolong the process of diagnosis and starting treatment.
If you choose not to bring your child along to the appointment, it is important to know that you will be unable to access a Medicare rebate for that appointment.
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My partner and I are separated. Do you have a policy on sharing information and shared decision making when parents are separated?
We believe your child’s health needs are best managed where there is open communication, shared decision making and consistency between parents.
When one parent has made an appointment, it is that parent’s responsibility to communicate all relevant information from that appointment to other caregivers and to invite the other parent to the appointment if they wish. Letters and reports are provided to the referring doctor and if appropriate may also be sent to one or both parents.
Where there is shared parenting, please notify your paediatrician at your initial visit or provide any Family Court orders that are in place.
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What is your cancellation policy?
You do not have to agree to this policy, however we will be unable to provide services to you/your child if you do not. The act of booking any appointment with Canberra Paediatric Specialists means that you agree to this policy in full.
Why do we need a cancellation policy?
Our clinicians are in high demand and appointments are often booked out months in advance, particularly for patients new to the practice. We always strive to provide timely services and late-notice cancellations and rescheduling affect our ability to do this. If you/your child are unable to attend your appointment, we would like to offer that appointment time to another family and that is only possible with sufficient notice.
Notice required to avoid fees:
For all cancellations and rescheduling we require a minimum of 5 business days’ notice to avoid fees.
- Cancellation/rescheduling between 5 business days and 2 business days before the booked appointment will incur a fee of 50% of your appointment fee, and no Medicare rebate will be available.
- Cancellation/rescheduling of less than 2 business days’ notice, or failure to attend a scheduled appointment without notice (‘no-show’), will incur a fee of 100% of your appointment fee, and no Medicare rebate will be available. Exceptions for family emergency may apply. In most cases of illness, other than if your child is an inpatient at a hospital, a telehealth consultation can be substituted for a face-to-face appointment rather than cancelling. If you choose not to proceed with a telehealth appointment, cancellation fees will apply.
What is a ‘business day’?
Business days are any normal weekday other than a public holiday or office closure period, between the hours of 8.30AM and 5PM on Mondays – Thursdays, and 9AM and 1PM on Fridays.
What is the fee?
- Cancellation/rescheduling with at least 5 business days’ notice: no fee
- Cancellation/rescheduling with between 2 and 5 full business days’ notice: 50% of the applicable appointment fee
- Cancellation/rescheduling with less than 2 full business days’ notice, including ‘no-shows’: 100% of the applicable appointment fee
What is meant by “family emergency”?
A family emergency is a sudden, unexpected and urgent event involving an immediate family member or person in your care. These situations are usually unforeseeable.
Examples of events that do NOT constitute a family emergency include a work or school meeting or event, sporting event or extracurricular activity; a family holiday or activity; or expiry of your GP referral.
What is meant by ‘no-show’?
Our clinicians set their appointment duration to allow for appropriate clinical assessment to be undertaken and management advice to be given. Late arrival for your appointment impacts the care you/your child receives and has a flow-on effect for other families. Arrival halfway through your appointment time or later, or failure to attend at all, is considered a ‘no-show’ and you will be charged the applicable cancellation fee, unless emergency circumstances apply.
If you anticipate you will be late for your appointment, please contact the admin team who will offer a same-day appointment if available and the fee will not apply.
Our clinicians strive to run on time however the complexity of presentations of our patients can sometimes mean they are running late. If this is the case, our admin team endeavour to contact you to give you an estimated delay time.
Cancellation due to financial hardship:
We understand financial difficulties can occur however this is not considered a reason for late cancellation and does not exempt you from cancellation fees. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact our admin team as soon as possible. We may be able to assist with a payment plan or delay your invoice payment. You will not be able to book a follow up appointment until your invoice is paid in full.
Repeated late cancellation/rescheduling
Unexpected events happen to all of us, however repeated late cancellations disrupt clinical care and appointment availability for other families. If late- or no-notice cancellations/reschedules occur repeatedly, we may require pre-payment of appointment fees. Medicare documentation for you to claim the applicable rebate will be provided after your consultation.
How do I pay the fee?
Fees are payable in full over the phone at the time of the cancellation/rescheduling.
What happens if I don’t pay the fee?
If a fee is not paid, you will be unable to book any further appointments.
How do I notify Canberra Paediatric Specialists of a cancellation or ask to reschedule?
To cancel or reschedule an appointment, please call (02) 5104 0770, or email hello@foreverychild.com.au at least 5 business days prior to your appointment.
Our aim is to provide all families with the opportunity to minimise cancellation fees and provide timely services by avoiding gaps in clinicians’ schedules. Appointment details will be sent by SMS or email at the time of booking if you consent to this. A confirmation SMS is sent at least 7 days prior to the appointment, however it is your responsibility to remember appointments you have made.
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How can we give you feedback?
We are dedicated to providing excellent care for your child and family and we welcome your comments or feedback that will help us to continue improving. Please talk to your paediatrician or our reception staff, or you can email us at hello@foreverychild.com.au
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