All Medicare-eligible consultations are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card. Some items, including privately purchased vaccines and consumables, attract a fee.
These assessments have more paperwork around them than an ordinary visit. Sorting it out first saves a second trip. Tap each one.
Four things worth doing first
Employers, insurers and licensing bodies all use their own forms, and some require specific tests. Ask them for everything before you ring us, so reception can quote accurately and book the right length.
“Here's the form and what they've asked for.”Because a third party requested the assessment, Medicare does not cover it — whether or not you hold a card. Reception will quote you before you book so there is no surprise on the day.
“What will this assessment cost?”Many employers pay for pre-employment medicals directly or reimburse you afterwards. Ask before you assume it is yours, and keep the receipt either way.
“Is my employer paying for this directly?”Your medications, any conditions you are treated for, previous surgery, and your glasses or hearing aids if you use them. Vision is tested in most of these assessments and doing it without your glasses helps nobody.
“I've brought my medication list and my glasses.”Open any of these for what it involves and how long to allow. Ring reception for a quote before you book — the fee depends on what is being asked for.
Pre-employment
What happens An examination against the requirements of the role: history, vision, hearing, blood pressure, height and weight, and musculoskeletal assessment where the work is physical. Drug and alcohol screening where the employer has asked for it.
The employer sets the standard and your GP assesses you against it. The report goes to them, and you are entitled to know what is being sent.
Bring the position description if you have it. What the role actually involves shapes what needs assessing.
Driving
What happens An assessment against Austroads' national standards for commercial vehicle drivers — vision, hearing, cardiovascular health, diabetes, sleep apnoea risk, neurological function and medication review.
Heavy vehicle, bus, taxi and rideshare licences are assessed against a published national standard rather than your GP's judgement of whether you seem well.
Bring your glasses, your medication list and any specialist letters. Sleep apnoea and diabetes in particular need documentation from whoever manages them.
Insurance
What happens An examination and a report for a life, income protection, trauma or superannuation claim. The insurer sets out exactly what they want and your GP completes it.
These reports are detailed and often take longer than the examination itself. Some require a review of your whole medical record, which is charged accordingly.
Bring the complete pack from the insurer, including anything they want your previous doctors to supply.
Licensing
What happens Firearms, aviation, maritime, security and working-with-children health assessments, each measured against the relevant authority's published standard rather than a general impression of fitness.
Tell reception exactly which licence it is for when you ring. The requirements vary considerably and so does the time needed.
Some of these require a doctor with a specific accreditation. Reception will tell you honestly if we cannot do yours and where to go instead.
Government forms
What happens Centrelink medical certificates, disability support documentation, carer payment forms and NDIS evidence. Some of these are Medicare items and some are not — reception will tell you which applies.
Where a form is part of managing your own health, it is generally covered. Where it exists purely to satisfy an agency, it may not be.
These forms are detailed. Ask for a long appointment and bring everything you have, including reports from specialists.
Everything else here is bulk billed, and then this arrives with a fee. It is worth understanding why, because it is not a decision of ours. Tap a card.
Medicare funds treatment of your own health. It does not fund assessments carried out for someone else's purposes.
More than an appointment — the report is often the longer part of the work.
If a fee is a real obstacle, say so when you ring. Reception can tell you what the alternatives are and whether the organisation asking should be paying it.
These run differently from an ordinary appointment. Here is the shape of one. Tap any card.
From the employer, insurer or authority who asked. All of it — the forms often specify tests that change how long is needed.
Flip backReception will tell you the fee and book the right length. Have the paperwork in front of you when you call.
Flip backThese take considerably more than fifteen minutes, and there is no version of them that is rushed.
Flip backYour medication list, your glasses, your hearing aids, specialist letters, and the forms themselves.
Flip backWhatever the standard requires — vision, hearing, blood pressure, height and weight, musculoskeletal, spirometry.
Flip backSome assessments require bloods, an ECG or drug and alcohol screening. These may add to the fee, and you will be told beforehand.
Flip backCompleted by your GP and returned to whoever requested it. You are entitled to know what it says.
Flip backIf something turns up that needs following up for your own sake, that becomes ordinary care — and ordinary care is bulk billed again.
Flip backTap whatever applies and print the list. It gives reception what they need to quote accurately the first time.
Most of our doctors carry out these assessments. A few require a specific accreditation — ring reception and they will book you with the right doctor.
Our GPs hold general registration with AHPRA. Areas listed are special interests within general practice rather than recognised specialist registration. Every one of our doctors provides this. If the GP you usually see is booked, any of the others can help — your records are shared across the practice, so nobody is starting from scratch.
Pick your situation and what you're coming in for. We'll show you what to expect before you book.
What are you coming in for?
Figures shown are what you pay at the clinic for the appointment itself. Medicines, devices, imaging and specialist fees are set elsewhere. Reception will always confirm the cost with you before anything goes ahead.
Because Medicare funds the treatment of your health, not assessments carried out for a third party's purposes. An employer, insurer or licensing body asked for this one, so no Medicare item covers it. That applies at every practice in Australia.
It depends entirely on what is being asked for — a short form is very different from a driver medical with vision, hearing and a written report. Ring reception with the paperwork in front of you and they will quote you before you book.
Many do, either directly or by reimbursing you. Ask them before you book, and keep the receipt regardless.
Allow a long appointment. Driver and pre-employment medicals commonly run to forty-five minutes, and detailed insurance examinations longer.
The forms, your medication list, your glasses or hearing aids, any specialist letters, and a position description if it is for a job.
Not for these. The fee is the same whether or not you hold a card, because the assessment sits outside Medicare entirely.
Your GP will tell you and, if it needs looking into, that becomes ordinary care — which is bulk billed in the usual way. Finding something unexpected is one of the genuine benefits of these assessments.
Yes, assessed against the Austroads national standards. Bring your glasses, your medication list and any specialist letters, particularly if you have diabetes or sleep apnoea.
You are entitled to know what is being said about you. Discuss it with your GP at the appointment — there should be nothing in it you have not already talked through.
Reception will tell you honestly, and point you towards a practice that can. A few assessments require a specific accreditation and it is better to know that on the phone than in the waiting room.
One phone call with the forms to hand gets you an accurate quote, the right appointment length and the right doctor — and saves the second trip that catches most people out.
Assessments requested by a third party, such as an insurer, a licensing authority or a sporting body, are done by appointment. These are not covered by Medicare, so reception will quote the fee before you book.
You will find us at Shop 5, 2 Town Centre Circuit, Salamander Bay, inside the shopping centre, a few minutes from Nelson Bay, Corlette and Soldiers Point and an easy drive from Anna Bay, Medowie and Lemon Tree Passage.
Book online with HotDoc at any hour, or call (02) 4008 4400.
