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  • 7 Juliet Street, Mackay Qld 4740
  • PO Box 134, Mackay QLD 4740

  • (07) 4957 4004

  • admin@southsidemedical.com.au
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Medicare rebate (the fee received by your doctor if he/she bulk bills a service) does not reflect the true cost of maintaining a modern medical practice and the cost of maintaining individual registration, medical indemnity cover and skills. By charging a reasonable fee for the majority of medical services, your doctor is able to spend more time discussing your medical problems with you, especially if these problems are complex or multifaceted.

Because our doctors charge a fee, they are not under pressure to see a large number of patients each hour and are therefore able to give patients as much time as is necessary. We believe this improves the quality of the service provided to patients with both simple and complex issues. It also allows time for your doctor to discuss preventative health issues with you at greater length, with fantastic benefits for your long-term health.

Yes, certainly. Situations in which patients may be charged a discounted fee or bulk billed include:

  • Quick visits (e.g. injections, script clinic).
  • Nurse visits (e.g. dressings, removal of sutures procedures originally done at another practice,specialist or hospital will incur a fee).
  • Bona fide financial hardship.
  • Over 75 year old annual health assessments
  • Chronic disease management (care plans and reviews)
  • All medical services for DVA cardholders are billed directly to Veteran’s Affairs, with no out-of-pocket expenses to the veteran
  • Children 10 years and under

Surgical procedures such as skin lesion excisions require more time and extra skills. There are extra costs to the practice such as local anesthetics, suture material and dressings that need to be taken into account To keep costs to a minimum, the out of pocket expense is kept as low as possible whilst still covering expenses involved in doing the procedure.