Out of pocket expenses for pre pregnancy blood test

Hi,

DH and I are planning to TTC later in the year. Got a referral from the doctor to do some blood test for rubella, zoster, full blood test and to find out if I am RH +ve.

I rang the pathology lab prior to attenting to ask if there are any out of pocket expenses and if so how much. I was told no and that i will get a rebate from Medicare.

I got a bill for $198 today and I rang medicare and they said that I will only be getting $82back.

Just wanted to find out if any of you had been out of pocket too for similar tests.Have I been misinformed or incorrectly billed?

Also, has any of you had a pre-pregnancy blood test that was fully bulk billed.

TIA

The same thing happened to me. I went to a private pathology lab to get the same tests done because thats the lab my GP used (but I was already pregnant) and I ended up paying $184 and got about $80 back.

I wasn't warned about it before hand and after it was already done there wasn't a lot I could do about it! It totally sucks!

Maybe next time ask your doc to send you to a bulk billing lab.

Good luck, I hope your TTC journey is a short one!

From memory, it was all bulk-billed. I can't remember exactly what was tested - rubella, HIV, Hep etc. It was a standard test the GP ordered. Went through Melbourne pathology.

Maybe things have changed this financial year.

Mine was bulk billed too.

I haven't had any pre preg blood tests, but all the other ones I have had while preg have been bulk billed other than the NT tests...

I don't understand how you say that you were told there would be no out of pocket expences but you'd get a rebate from MedicarE? To get a rebate you usually need to pay for what you're having, and MC never (well, not that I have ever come across) refund a full amount unless they are directly bulk billed by your GP. :dunno:

I rang the accounts department and was notified that I was charged the private fee because the dr did not tick the box on the pathology request slip. By ticking this box the dr is indicating that the pathology test is to be bulk billed.

So for those of you thinking of a pre pregnancy test, check with your doctor if the pathology test ordered is bulk billed.

In my case all the test could have been bulk billed, however because the doctor did not tick the box, I was charged the private fee which in total is more than twice the amount that Medicare would reimburse. Does not make sense to me. :dunno:

If you use a private pathology and the dr does not mark the bulk bill box, then they are entitled to charge you.

It is a lot of mucking around, but if the dr usually bulk bills patients with that pathology company, the dr can ring and say he made a mistake and it should have been bulk billed. (I used to work for a private pathology in accounts and got heaps of those calls).