Medicare payment and laproscopy question

[Floweryfields]

I posted a thread a while back asking anyone for advice about the costs of laproscopy - thanks to the girls who replied -
The amounts they were charged was around the $4500 mark - my new question is, a percentage of this will be paid by medicare won't is -
from what I understand, medicare pays 75 or 80% of the scheduled fee and if you have private health, they pay either all or a % of the rest depending on the cover.
So I wouldn't actually have to pay up the full $4500 would I?

Does anyone know where I can find a medicare list of their schedule fee amounts?

I am getting a quote from my gyno for this procedure and wanted a heads up on what I might be looking at.

Also anyone know if specialists allow you to pay charges on a payment plan type thing?

[prince3rdph]

Ask your doctor for all the item numbers and search each and every item in this url:

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/Medicare-Benefits-Schedule-MBS-1

This would give you the exact amount.

[Floweryfields]

Thanks that's a big help!

[Trillian]

Medicare will pay 75% of the scheduled fee. You could also shop around for a gyno that participates in the Access Gap Cover scheme which means that they don't charge over the scheduled fee, meaning that there should only be very minimal out of pocket expenses. I had no out of pocket expense for my gyno, but I did for the Anaesthetist - so will you probably as their fee is above the scheduled fee usually. Another thing if you get PHI is to use a hospital that they have a partner program with so you are guaranteed that the PHI will cover 100% of you stay. As you know from my post in your other thread that the hospital stay was the most expensive part of it.

Both your gyno and the anaesthetist will give you a quote with their fees etc. This gives you an exact ideaof how much you are up for and to also comfirm with your PHI how much they will pay etc beforehand. Also knowing how much it is if you don't have PHI you can possibly arrange with your gyno to pay it off before your sugery date etc.