Appointments
- Referrals
- Appointment reminder
- Appointment cancellation policy
- What to bring to your appointment
- Schedule of Fees
Referrals
As The Lung Health Clinic is a specialist practice, patients will require a referral. This applies to both medical and surgical consultations and to lung health testing. A valid referral is needed to obtain the Medicare or Veteran Affairs rebate to assist with the costs of the consultation or testing. Please ensure that your referral is sent to us prior to your appointment, or that you bring it with you for Medicare purposes.
You will need to discuss your respiratory problems with your General Practitioner or other referring doctor, who will determine if a referral to The Lung Health Clinic doctors or lung function testing is required.
Referrals by General Practitioners are valid for one year, unless otherwise stated. If you have consultations with one of our specialists over a prolonged period of time, you can request your General Practitioner write an ‘indefinite referral’. A referral from a Specialist lasts for just three months. The Lung Health Clinic doctors will always communicate with your referring doctor, irrespective of the nature of the referral that you have.
Medico-legal review, occupational health review and review for overseas healthcare are generally not eligible for Medicare rebates, and thus do not require a referral.
Appointment reminder
An SMS reminder message will be sent to all patients who own a mobile phone, three days prior to their appointment. People without a mobile phone can be called on their landline.
Appointment Cancellation Policy
If you cannot attend your appointment you need to notify us at least 48 hours beforehand. This enables us to provide your appointment time to another patient.
If you cancel less than 48 hours in advance or do not attend your scheduled appointment, you will be required to pay the full fee for the consultation and any booked tests. This fee is not refunded by Medicare.
What to bring to your appointment
It is very useful for your specialist to have all your relevant health information when they meet with you. Please bring:
- A valid referral
- Scans, xrays, blood test results
- Allergy testing results
- Medications or a medication list
Schedule of Fees
The Schedule of Fees for the doctor you are seeing and the tests/procedures that you will be having will be sent to you on request, or at the time of making your appointment