Getting an appointment with a specialist isn’t as simple as with a GP. Medicare wants to limit the amount of spending on healthcare, so we don’t have to pay more tax. So there are a lot of rules and we have to follow them.
Firstly, we need a valid referral. Despite the definition of a valid referral being clear, we receive 1-2 invalid referrals a week. For this reason, we require an exact electronic (or paper) copy of the referral before an appointment is confirmed. This is to save you time and money.
Valid referrals can be faxed by the GP RECEPTIONIST to us. Fax 8258 5559. It is your RIGHT under Medicare for it to be faxed to us by the GP receptionist. You just have to ask!
A valid referral has all of the following
The patient’s first name, surname and date of birth,
the date it was written, which MUST be on or before the consultation
the written name of the doctor
the signature of the doctor
the reason they need to be seen – if it isn’t in the referral, unfortunately it isn’t covered.
Some conditions qualify for an indefinite referral. The referral must say the word “indefinite” specifically. Ongoing is not indefinite. Indefinite referrals cover the condition mentioned in the referral and related conditions/complications. They DO NOT cover other matters.
For families not covered by Medicare, most of the private insurance companies require you to have a referral too. Please consult them before booking an appointment as referrals cannot be back dated.
Once we have received a valid referral we will then make contact with you (either by SMS or email) as we require further information about you and your child
For ASD and ADHD assessments, we may arrange for diagnostic questionnaires for you and the school before the appointment. These take a while to score.
Then we can book the appointment.
If the appointment offered is not suitable, please make contact ASAP as the appointment allocated is an exclusive reservation set aside for you thus, we encourage appointments that will be kept.