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Fees & Billing
We bulk bill most services Mon to Fri until 6pm for patients registered with Medicare (current Medicare card is required). After 6pm during the week and on weekends we will continue to bulk bill children under 16 years and concession card holders (current cards must be presented to reception). Patients over 16 years with no concession card will have to pay and the Medicare rebate can be claimed at the time of your visit.
Services that are not bulk billed are: Mirena insertion, Implanon insertion and removal, vasectomies and all psychologist visits. A list of fees can be found at reception.
How long is the appointment?
We know that your time is precious, and our teams endeavour to make sure you have the most efficient appointment possible.
That’s why we offer a range of appointments, from 10-15 minutes for standard routine checkups or removal of an IUCD, up to 45 minutes if it includes minor surgical procedures such as insertion/removal of Implanon or IUDs.
We also try not to keep patients waiting by offering same-day emergency consultations where required-just let us know when booking so that one can be set aside, especially for you!
What do I do if I have a complaint or give feedback?
If you are not happy with the service at Ridge, we would greatly appreciate your feedback to improve our services for your benefit. You may call and speak to the Practice Manager or send a letter addressed to him/her, requesting a client complaint form which will be completed by us as soon as possible.
If unforeseen circumstances arise and you’re unhappy with our service here at Ridge Family Medicine, it’s important that you let us know immediately! We want our practice to provide excellent care for all of its patients continuously. However, without input from those who have received less than satisfactory treatment, there is no way to make improvements where needed most. Please give us a call or send us an email if you have complaints or feedback.
Cancellations of my appointment
If you need to cancel your appointment, we ask that it be done at least 24 hours in advance. This is so other patients can take the spot and avoid wasting a valuable slot otherwise taken by someone who couldn’t make it to their scheduled time. However, if an appointment needs to be cancelled with less than 24-hour notice or not booked for any reason whatsoever (including one outside of our control), there will likely be a cancellation fee as well as another charge for not giving enough warning beforehand.
Cancellation Fees
In consideration of others, please phone to let us know if you are unable to keep an appointment, as you may incur a fee which is not covered by Medicare. Please ask reception about fee conditions.
How do I get urgent results?
We do not give results over the phone, an appointment with your doctor must be made.
Medical Certificates
It is important to make an appointment to see the doctor on the day of your illness as we are unable to back date certificates.
Home Visits
When necessary these are usually scheduled during office hours. Please discuss with your doctor.
Repeat Prescriptions
It is in the best interest of your health to be seen by the doctor whenever a repeat prescription is required. In some cases, however, a prescription for continuing medication may be written without a consultation and a fee may be charged for this service.
What is the practice privacy policy and confidentiality policy?
The practice privacy policy is available to all patients. When registering as a new patient, you must sign that you have read and understood the practice privacy policy. Patients are welcome to take a copy of the privacy policy by asking at reception. Ridge Medical Centre’s privacy policy is a standard policy for Australian medical surgeries. All Ridge Medical Centre staff members are required to sign a confidentiality form before commencing work and may not commence without this. All Australian standards are followed for patient confidentiality.