Referrals
If you wish to claim Medicare rebates for your appointment you must have a valid referral. A valid referral from your General Practitioner must be dated within the last 12 months or from your Specialist within the last 3 months.
If you do not have a valid referral you will be liable for the entire payment of services.
Making Appointments
In most cases, once the decision has been made in consultation with your GP or other referring doctor to seek advice or treatment from a specialist at SmartCare Diagnostics, patients can ring to make their own appointments.
- Alternatively the doctor may send the referral directly to SmartCare Diagnostics, therefore the clinic will contact the patient to organise a suitable time.
- In cases deemed urgent by the referring doctors, the Doctor may ring SmartCare Diagnostics direct to make the appointment on the patient's behalf.
Interpreters
Please inform our staff if you require an interpreter for your consultation, interpreters may be booked for either on-site or over the telephone.
Attending the Clinic
Patients can help us deliver the best possible care by following a few simple guidelines:
- Make sure SmartCare Diagnostics is given or is holding a valid referral on your behalf. This will ensure you can claim Medicare rebates and inform the Specialists of the background to your condition.
- If you are attending for the first time please arrive 10-15 minutes early to fill out the patient information sheet and privacy consent form. Alternatively, you can download the SmartCare Diagnostics Patient Information Sheet & Privacy Consent form and fill it out before attending the clinic, making sure to bring it with you.
- For billing and Medicare rebate purposes it is vital you bring your Medicare and concession cards to the appointment.
- It is very important that the Specialist knows what medications you currently use. The safest way to be sure we have the correct information is to bring the medications to the appointment.
- X-rays/Ultrasounds or any other results which pertain to your condition should also be brought to appointments. We will let you know when they are no longer required for you to take home.
Cancellations
We request 24 hour notice for a cancellation or rescheduling of an appointment.
If you are unable to attend your appointment it is in your own interests to ring and make another time without delay. That way we can also make the vacated appointment available to another patient. Waiting times for appointments can be kept to a minimum if all available appointments are made available to patients. If you do not show for your appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours notice you may be charged a cancellation fee of a minimum of $100 or 50% which ever is the higher amount.
Why wait or pay too much for diagnostic tests?