Appointment Fees
Dr Mackie's default fees for consultations are never more than the fee structure recommended by the Australian Medical Association. The vast majority of patients seen by Dr Mackie are invoiced significantly less than these amounts, with Pensioners receiving additional reductions.
Patients are notified of the likely consultation fee when making an appointment booking.
Bulk-billing is occasionally offered in Specialist Medical Practices. General Medical Practices provide medical care to the whole community, with Medicare rebates accordingly provided. Patients who wish to be seen by a Medical or Surgical Specialist with no out-of-pocket costs may be referred by their General Practitioner to public hospital Specialist Clinics.
Payment Options
Payment for consultations is expected on the day (unless the invoice is to be forwarded to MAIB, Workcover, DVA). Payment can be made by Cash, Cheque, EFTPOS, Mastercard or Visa. American Express and Diners cards are not accepted.
Medicare Rebates
With a valid referral, patients will receive approximately $75 rebated from Medicare for an initial specialist consultation and approximately $37 for a review specialist consultation. This amount can generally be electronically transferred back into patients' accounts after initial payment of the total consultation fee, so a visit to the Medicare office is not required. Patients will need to ensure that their bank details are registered with Medicare to permit direct refunds.
Private Health Insurance
Private Health Insurers do not generally cover any costs of services other than during a hospital admission and will not contribute towards consultation costs.
Compensable Conditions
Patients with orthopaedic conditions sustained in a motor vehicle accident (acknowledged by the Motor Accident Insurance Board) or sustained at work (acknowledged by a Workcover Insurance Board) do not require a formal referral per HIC guidelines. Dr. Mackie does however prefer that these patients be accompanied by a referral from their medical practitioner to allow appropriate communication pathways.
