FAQs

Castle Hill Medical Centre is a private billing practice that offers a wide range of services from general GP, preventative health and nursing through to Allied health.

Medicare is the basis of Australia’s health care system and covers many health care costs. It provides you access to several health care services for free or at a lower cost, including:

• medical services by doctors, specialists and other health professionals
• hospital treatment
• prescription medicines

‘Bulk billing’ means there are no out-of-pocket expenses for the medical services provided to you. If you are bulk billed, it means that your doctor accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment of service. The Medicare Benefits Schedule (the MBS) provides a list of medical services for which the Australian Government will pay a Medicare rebate, to provide patients with financial assistance towards the costs of their medical services. It is unfortunately irrelevant to the actual cost of your healthcare.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has recommended fees that reflect the true cost of a given service, and the Medicare rebate covers approximately 40% of this true cost. Medicare does not pay GPs. This means that if your doctor bulk bills you for a standard consult lasting up to 20 minutes and accepts the $39.10 rebate instead of the full practice fee, it will not be feasible for your GP to continuously provide the exceptional health care that they seek to provide.

‘Private billing’ or ‘mixed billing’ simply refers to patients who pay for medical services at their own expense and receive a rebate from Medicare for the item the GP has billed.

GPs are private small business owners similar to your local independent retailer, freelance artist, and tradie. Many GPs do not receive any leave entitlements, neither do they get paid if you do not show up to your appointment.

At CHMC, we believe in making the care of patients our utmost concern and to maintain high standards in the delivery of safe, high-quality medical care.

To learn more on how the healthcare system funds medical care, click here.

Castle Hill Medical Centre is a private billing practice and appreciates full payment of fees on the day of consultation. We use Medicare online and Hicaps, so the Medicare rebate can be immediately refunded to your bank account.

**Please note that as of 01 July 2022, fee adjustments will be made due to Medicare rebate changes and inflation.

Medical certificates are available and can be requested at the time of consultation with your doctor. We however regret to inform you that medical certificates cannot be backdated.

Fast, expert medical care for injuries and accidents are available at CHMC. Your multi disciplined healthcare practitioners treats a wide range of injuries during opening hours with no appointment required.

Avoid emergency room wait times, and access direct imaging, specialist referrals, nursing care, pain relief and medical treatment by the medical experts.

For more information about Sports & Injury Services:
CHMC The Mall / CHMC Barwell Ave

If you have an emergency, please dial 000 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

To ensure the safety of our patients, we leverage a robust system for recalls and reminders which enable us to contact you regarding any healthcare issues that require follow up with your GP.

The reminder system enables us to remind you of future actions that need to be taken for your medical wellbeing. This would include matters such as annual check-ups, care planning and immunisations.

Our medical centres comply with all confidentiality and privacy obligations. Please refer to our privacy policy and/or ask reception for more information.