Patient Fees

Consultation Fees

Initial consultation fee - $250.00

Review consultation fee - $150.00

The above fees attract a Medicare rebate, which we can claim on your behalf at the time of payment, provided that you have a valid doctor’s referral in place.

If your injury/condition is covered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, there will be no out-of-pocket cost to you for any consultation or treatment with Mr Patten.

The Cost of Surgery

For any surgery Mr Patten recommends, you will be provided with an estimate of costs detailing the anticipated fees involved with your hospital admission. These include:

  • Mr Patten’s fee – Mr Patten’s surgical fees are based on the Australian Medical Association (AMA)’s recommended fees.

  • The anaesthetist’s fee – Your anaesthetist will provide you with a quote prior to surgery. The fee may vary depending on the duration of your procedure and your health insurance, if applicable.

  • The surgical assistant’s fee – Your surgical assistant’s fee may equate to up to 20% of Mr Patten’s surgery fee.

  • Hospital bed, theatre costs and equipment fees – If you are covered for your procedure by private health insurance, these fees will almost always be covered by your health fund. It is important to confirm with your health fund that you are covered for your surgery, as certain orthopaedic procedures are excluded from some policies. You may have an excess to pay to the hospital at the time of admission, depending on your insurance policy.

  • Pathology, radiology and pharmacy – During your hospital admission, you may need to have scans, blood tests, or have medication dispensed to you from the pharmacy, which may incur out-of-pocket costs. This should be discussed with your health fund if you hold private insurance.

For patients covered by DVA, there will be no charge from Mr Patten to you for your procedure.

About Mr Patten’s Surgery Fees

Orthopaedic procedures are identified by Medicare item numbers. Each item number is associated with a rebate from Medicare and private health funds pay an additional rebate of up to 25%. Over time the cost of running a high-quality practice has risen, and unfortunately the rebates given by Medicare and private health funds have not increased at the same rate. As Mr Patten’s fees are based on the AMA’s recommended fees, which are higher than Medicare’s rebates, this generates an out-of-pocket cost (a ‘gap’) to the patient for surgery.

For any surgery Mr Patten recommends, a written quote detailing all item numbers and anticipated fees will be provided to you.

WorkCover & TAC Patients

Please note that Mr Patten no longer accepts new WorkCover or TAC referrals.

Existing patients covered under the Victorian WorkCover Authority (VWA) or TAC are required to pay Mr Patten’s private consultation fees on the day of their appointment and then seek reimbursement from their WorkCover insurer or TAC. Please note that our consultation fees exceed VWA and TAC rates. This means that VWA insurers and TAC will not reimburse these fees in full, leaving you out-of-pocket.

Uninsured Patients

For patients without private health insurance, we are happy to obtain quotes on your behalf from all parties involved to ensure you are fully informed of all costs involved with surgery.

Surgery in a Public Hospital

Should you wish to have surgery in a public hospital, your GP can send a referral to an orthopaedic outpatient clinic at a public hospital. There is no cost to patients having surgery in a public hospital, however there is a waiting list. Your position on the hospital’s waiting list will depend on the severity of your condition.

If you wish to discuss fees further, please call us on 03 9516 2390 and our friendly staff will assist you with any questions you may have.