| Your anaesthetist is specialist doctor in their own right, and is not employed by either the hospital you are admitted to, or your surgeon. As such, a fee will be levied for any services he/she performs, which will be separate from any you may receive from the hospital or surgeon. You should inform yourself of this likely expense prior to the procedure.
Anaesthetic fees are determined primarily on the complexity of your procedure and its duration. The quote will be based on the average time for the procedure, and as such, is an ESTIMATE ONLY. Each anaesthetist in Alliance Anaesthetics acts as an individual practitioner and so determines their own fee.
It is likely that the fee for anaesthetic services will NOT be covered in full by the rebate paid by Medicare and your health fund (the schedule fee), and any difference will become your responsibility to pay. This is known as the “gap”. Some health funds offer a product they call “Known Gap” that may pay you an amount in excess of the schedule fee. Talk to your health fund to see whether this is on offer. However, in some circumstances, your anaesthetist may choose to bill your health fund directly, in which case you will not have anything further to pay. Finally, if you are in a difficult financial position, it is important to contact us and discuss this, as we may be able to offer some consideration appropriate for your circumstance. |
