See one of our Merryland Doctors for a 100% rebate on your health insurance for OSHC students and international visitors!
Our clinic fees are designed to benefit our patients. We only charge the Medicare rate (MBS rate), which means you do not have to pay anything out of pocket . Nearly all insurances (even a most basic level of cover) will cover the MBS rate at the bare minimum. Here are a few reasons to pick our clinic for your next GP visit!
- Zero cost GP visits !
If you are worried about the out-of-pocket payment, don’t worry, we will never make you pay to see our GP’s! We only charge what all insurances cover and claim it instantly with your insurance card, so you would never have to open your wallet.If you are unsure, give your insurance agency a call and ask if they cover the medicare rate or MBS rate. Most other clinics specifically charge an out-of-pocket expense for students and visitors because they know you have to claim it back later. If you don’t get the full amount, they usually say it is something you need to discuss with your insurance. We are not like that. We specifically aim to help our patients get the most out of their insurance. We are transparent with how we do things, so in a sign of good faith you can ask your insurance what they cover on the following GP consultations:- Level B consult – Item 23 – $38.75 (Consultation between 5mins -20mins)
- Level C consult – Item 36 – $75.05 (Consultation between 20mins -40mins)
- Level D consult – Item 44 – $110.50 (Consultation above 40mins)
- Updated 26/4/2021 – If prices above change due to medicare paying different amounts for these services they will be updated to the MBS rate ONLY (never more).
- We understand most international students have it tough when it comes to living expenses, jobs, and university fees. We don’t want to make it tougher than it needs to be, which is why we try to go the extra mile for our international visitors.
- Direct claiming for NIB, AHM, BUPA on GP visits!
As a bonus for patients that are with NIB, AHM, or BUPA- you don’t even need to put your money on the line. We claim directly from our terminal using ONLY your private health insurance card and nothing else! This is extremely useful when you are short on cash flow and NEED to see the doctor. The other benefit is you don’t have to sit and wait to see when the insurance will pay you, or what percentage the insurance will pay! Everything is handled internally for your peace of mind! - Zero Costs Pathology visits!
We go the extra mile for our international patients and make sure that they do not get charged any out-of-pocket expenses for any kind of blood tests, spirometry, ECG, or any other testing. The item numbers for pathology services are dependent on what you require to get tested, but rest assured we only partner with Pathology companies that do not charge anything extra other than the MBS rate! - We are accommodating!
We have doctors that are fluent in multiple languages and can understand your exact needs. There is no need for translators who may translate incorrectly on your behalf when our doctors know the language. Our doctors can speak Arabic, Hindi, Korean, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Urdu. If there are any issues with billing we are more than happy to address them!
OSHC students and international visitors get a 100% Rebate with Woodville Rd Medical and Dental Centre
Book NowUnderstanding the Medicare system for OSHC students and international visitors
We understand that there are heaps of questions behind a medicare system that OSHC students and international visitors may not be familiar with when it comes to GP consultations. Rest assured it is not as complex as you might think.
- Medicare covers the majority of all GP and pathology services. Medicare cards are given to PR and Australian citizens.
- Private health insurance is for International visitors and OSHC students to make sure they are covered for any basic health needs.
- When you come in for a consult as an international visitor or OSHC student, your private health insurance covers the cost of your GP visit usually up to the MBS rate. On higher levels of cover, it might cover more.
- Some clinics recognize this and charge extra to the OSHC insurances, but usually, it’s international patients or students that end up paying that extra money.
- We DO NOT charge any out-of-pocket expenses and only charge the MBS rate.
- If your GP clinic has direct claiming from the HICAPS terminal then you can claim directly from the Insurance. In this instance, you won’t have to pay any money upfront. If a GP clinic is old school and doesn’t have direct claiming, then you will need to pay upfront and hope that your insurance pays the full amount (indirect claiming). In this instance, depending on the item numbers placed and how much they charged you- you may not get the full amount back.
For example
- Clinic 1 Direct claiming (Woodville Rd Medical and Dental).
- After your consult, you would wipe your private health insurance card on the terminal.
- That is it. Job all done. Simple as that. No money exchanged.
- Clinic 2 Indirect claiming (Generic other clinics).
- After your consult, the doctor will let you know which item it is and how much you will need to pay. Now, this is where it gets tricky.
- If it’s a Level B consult, and you for example you are charged $70 then you must pay $70 at the counter.
- You will then have to send the claim to your insurance.
- But insurances typically only pay the MBS rate which is below (item 23 – $38.75)
- Which means they will only reimburse you $38.75 in a few days or a week. You would be out of pocket by $31.25.
- Clinic 1 Direct claiming (Woodville Rd Medical and Dental).
Well, how could you know what the item was and whether there would be a gap? Who do you complain to that you had to pay $31.25? If you had asked how much the consultation was before, then you have gotten the response, “It depends on the duration of the consultation” (Scroll down for more information about consult duration and item numbers). Couldn’t he have charged me a higher-level consultation instead of a lower-level consultation? (medicare audits the time and would be illegal).
How is our clinic different?
Our clinic is designed to make your experience in health better. We run off word of mouth, and if you do have a good experience at our clinic, please let your friends and family know! We are here to listen to your needs and address them. We want to provide value-based service that is affordable. Below are all the benefits you get from coming to our clinic vs our competitors!
Other services Available At Our Merrylands Clinic for OSHC students and international visitors
The Woodville Road Medical Centre has a wide variety of services available to assist you with any kind of GP visit.
We have a gifted team of doctors and GP’s capable of treating a wide variety of physical and psychological ailments, with female practitioners available if that is your preference. Our Medical Team also includes a Surgical Consult should surgery be required.
In addition, our Allied Health team is an invaluable asset in getting you back to health. Their fields of expertise include:
- Physiotherapy and In-house Physio (Usually Private unless your health insurance covers)
- Dietitians (Usually Private unless your health insurance covers)
- Podiatry (Usually Private unless your health insurance covers)
- Exercise physiologists (Usually Private unless your health insurance covers)
- Dentists (Usually Private unless your health insurance covers)
Our Merrylands Medical Team promises to stay on the patient’s side of things and strive to set patient-orientated goals. We are upfront about what items potential have gap and approximate prices on what that might be. Nothing is more important to us than your health, and your ability to get back on your feet and back to health comfortably.
Please call for any questions on (02) 9681 5880 and our lovely staff will help out with any issues.
OSHC students and international visitors get a 100% Rebate with Woodville Rd Medical and Dental Centre
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