Providing first class healthcare to our local community
Providing first class healthcare to our local community
From Monday 1 st August 2022 our consultation fees will be increasing. Each year the costs of operating a medical practice increase. To ensure the viability and sustainability of Health Matters we need to increase our consultation fees to cover these higher operating costs. In this way, we can guarantee that Health Matters will be here to continue to deliver the high-quality health care that you, your family, and the community deserve, in the long term.
NEW CONSULTATION FEES: From 1st August 2022 our practice will be charging you the following fees for our most common services:
| Consultation Type | Fee | Medicare Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Brief Consult | $ 42.00 | $ 18.20 | $ 23.80 |
| Standard Consult | $ 84.00 | $ 39.75 | $ 44.25 |
| Long Consult | $ 150.00 | $ 76.95 | $ 73.05 |
| Prolonged consult | $ 250.00 | $ 113.30 | $ 136.70 |
To some of our Health Matters’ friends who are not eligible for concession cards, we have been generous in the past and accepted your Medicare Rebate as full payment for your consultations. Unfortunately, such payment arrangements are no longer sustainable moving forward. The indexation of Medicare Rebates has not kept pace with the increasing costs of operating a medical practice and bulk-billing incentive payments are not applicable in these circumstances. Health Matters needs to remain viable and sustainable for the benefit of you, your family, and the community, so please expect an out-of-pocket fee in the future if this situation applies to you. Please keep in mind that most general practice out of pocket fees you pay will go towards your Medicare Safety Net threshold. Once you’ve reached the thresholds, you’ll start getting higher Medicare benefits. This means you’ll get more money back from Medicare for certain services. For more information on the Medicare Safety Nets, please go to https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/medicare-safety-nets
2022 Medicare Safety Nets thresholds
| Thresholds | Threshold amount | Who it’s for | What counts towards threshold | What benefit you’ll get back |
| Original Medicare Safety Net (OMSN) | $495.60 | Everyone in Medicare | Your gap amount for the calendar year. | 100% of the schedule fee for out of hospital services. |
| Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN)- General | $2249.80 | Everyone in Medicare | Your out of pocket amount for the calendar year. | 80% of out of pocket costs or the EMSN benefit caps for out of hospital services. |
| Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) - Concessional & Family Tax Benefit Part A | $717.90 | Concession cardholders and families eligible for FTB Part A | Your out of pocket amount for the calendar year. | 80% of out of pocket costs or the EMSN benefits caps for out of hospital services. |
From Monday 1st August 2022 our consultation fees will be increasing. Each year the costs of operating a medical practice increase. To ensure the viability and sustainability of Health Matters we need to increase our consultation fees to cover these higher operating costs. In this way, we can guarantee that Health Matters will be here to continue to deliver the high-quality health care that you, your family, and the community deserve, in the long term.
NEW CONSULTATION FEES: From 1st August 2022 our practice will be charging you the following fees for our most common services:
| Consultation Type | Fee | Medicare Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Brief Consult | $ 42.00 | $ 18.20 | $ 23.80 |
| Standard Consult | $ 78.00 | $ 39.75 | $ 38.25 |
| Long Consult | $ 140.00 | $ 76.95 | $ 63.05 |
| Prolonged consult | $ 230.00 | $ 113.30 | $ 116.70 |
To some of our Health Matters’ friends who are not eligible for concession cards, we have been generous in the past and accepted your Medicare Rebate as full payment for your consultations. Unfortunately, such payment arrangements are no longer sustainable moving forward. The indexation of Medicare Rebates has not kept pace with the increasing costs of operating a medical practice and bulk-billing incentive payments are not applicable in these circumstances. Health Matters needs to remain viable and sustainable for the benefit of you, your family, and the community, so please expect an out-of-pocket fee in the future if this situation applies to you. Please keep in mind that most general practice out of pocket fees you pay will go towards your Medicare Safety Net threshold. Once you’ve reached the thresholds, you’ll start getting higher Medicare benefits. This means you’ll get more money back from Medicare for certain services. For more information on the Medicare Safety Nets, please go to https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/medicare-safety-nets
2022 Medicare Safety Nets thresholds
| Thresholds | Threshold amount | Who it’s for | What counts towards threshold | What benefit you’ll get back |
| Original Medicare Safety Net (OMSN) | $495.60 | Everyone in Medicare | Your gap amount for the calendar year. | 100% of the schedule fee for out of hospital services. |
| Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN)- General | $2249.80 | Everyone in Medicare | Your out of pocket amount for the calendar year. | 80% of out of pocket costs or the EMSN benefit caps for out of hospital services. |
| Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) - Concessional & Family Tax Benefit Part A | $717.90 | Concession cardholders and families eligible for FTB Part A | Your out of pocket amount for the calendar year. | 80% of out of pocket costs or the EMSN benefits caps for out of hospital services. |
Book your COVID-19 vaccine appointment now!
We are pleased to announce that the Health Matters Karalee (Chuwar Respiratory Clinic) COVID-19 vaccination booking system is up and running. Appointments available now!
All our doctors are Independent Health Practitioners. As such, each doctor has the option to charge as they see fit depending on the length and complexity of consultations, independent of the practice billing policy.
As a general guide:
Private Fees will be incurred for the following:
Bulk Billing is available between the hours of 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, for the following patient groups:
Please present your valid Medicare card, concession card, or DVA card when you come for your appointment.
If you have any concerns about fees or payment, please discuss with your General Practitioner at the time of your appointment.
The following changes will come into effect from the 5th September 2022 relating to skin appointments.
Full Body Skin Checks (30 minutes) will incur Out-Of-Pocket (OOP) expenses for all patients:
Skin Spot Check Appointments (10 minutes):
If you have a localised skin concern, we can offer 10-minute spot check appointments for:
We are happy to provide a written estimate of cost for skin procedures. Just ask your doctor or one of our receptionists if you need more information.
| Consultation Type | Fee | Medicare Rebate | Out of Pocket |
| Mirena insertion | $ 200.00 | $ 72.05 | $ 127.95 |
| Implanon Insertion | $ 120.00 | $ 31.50 | $ 88.50 |
| Implanon Removal | $ 120.00 | $ 53.75 | $ 66.25 |
| Implanon Insertion and Removal | $ 180.00 | $ 85.25 | $ 94.75 |
Medicare Rebates
Your Medicare claims are processed by us for Medicare to return your rebate. Rebates are often returned instantaneously.
Appointment Notifications and Communication:
Our automated communication system will send you an SMS reminder the day before your appointment. For this service to be effective, clients are required to ensure their details are kept up-to-date with HMK.
If you receive an SMS, please follow the instructions and prompts. Please do not free text.
Appointment Cancellation:
We respectfully request that you provide a minimum of 2 hours’ notice of appointment cancellation. If you have replied ‘Yes’ to our SMS, acknowledging attendance, but cannot attend, please reply ‘No’ to the SMS service prior to 2hrs before your scheduled appointment. Replying ‘No’ will cancel the appointment unless the cancellation notification is forwarded within 2hrs of the scheduled appointment.
If you do not provide more than 2hrs notification of cancellation from your scheduled appointment, a fee of $50 maybe be charged to you unless extenuating circumstances apply. Cancellation fees must be satisfied in full prior to subsequent bookings.
Appointment Non-attendance:
Your time is valuable, and so is ours. If you do not notify our practice of your appointment cancellation, and subsequently do not attend your scheduled appointment we have allocated for you, the practice fees will be applicable:
Further appointments will be unable to be made until any fees on the account are paid in full.
To find out when you may be eligible for the Covid-19 Vaccination
please complete the
Monday – 7:30am to 6pm
Tuesday – 7:30am to 7pm
Wednesday – 7:30am to 7pm
Thursday – 7:30am to 6pm
Friday – 7:30am to 5pm
Saturday – 8am to 1pm
Public Holidays – Closed
Monday – 7am to 7pm
Tuesday – 7am to 6pm
Wednesday – 7am to 7pm
Thursday– 7am to 7pm
Friday – 7am to 6pm
Saturday – 8am to 1pm
Public Holidays – Closed
 | (07) 3812 3133 |
 | 19 - 27 Junction Road, Chuwar, Qld, 4306 |
 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
| (07) 5426 7788 |
| 1455 Brisbane Valley Highway, Fernvale, Qld, 4306 |
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