FEES FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY

LAPAROSCOPIC GASTRIC BANDING
(Medicare item No: 30511)

A fee of $5200 is charged to each patient and payable directly to Dr Tim Wright. This fee is expected to be paid prior to surgery.


Please read the following information outlined to explain the fee structure.

Upon pre-payment of the above fee you will receive two receipts.

• One receipt will be for the amount of $3500, this is the operation fee charged by Dr Wright. After the operation is performed you will then be issued, by mail, with an invoice for this amount stating the Medicare item number and description of the operation performed by Dr Wright. You need to take the invoice and pre-paid receipt to Medicare for a rebate. Medicare will rebate 75% of the schedule fee, which is currently $767.20. If you are in a health fund you will then be able to claim a rebate for a further 25% extending up to the Medicare schedule fee.

• The second receipt issued to you will be for an amount of $1700. This fee incorporates all dietetic support provided by the dietitian, Bronwyn James, for a period of 12 months following your lap-band surgery. All band related consults and band adjustments provided by Dr Tony Azzi for which you will be bulk billed indefinitely.

Note:
• There is no limit to the number of dietetic consultations allowed in the first 12 months following surgery.

• If you are covered for dietetic consultations by your health fund a portion of the consult fee will be claimable. The rebate amount will vary depending on the level of cover. It is advisable to check your cover with your health fund. Receipts at the time of each consult will be provided to enable claiming from your health fund.
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• If you have a chronic weight related medical condition and your GP considers you to be eligible to be placed onto an Enhanced Primary Care Plan (EPC) you may be entitled to dietetic rebates from Medicare.

ASSISTANT SURGEON:

The assistant surgeon claims the account directly from your health fund and Medicare, which is accepted as full payment.

If you are not in a health fund an account will be sent to you. The fee will vary from $150.00 - $200.00, it depends on the hospital your surgery is scheduled for as to who the assistant surgeon will be and a rebate is claimable from Medicare.

ANAESTHETIST:

It depends on the hospital your surgery is scheduled for as to who the anaesthetist will be. All fees are outlined by the anaesthetist’s practice prior to your surgery. The anaesthetist fee is NOT included in our fee of $5200.

HOSPITAL:

Dr Wright performs surgery at the following hospitals;

• Lake Macquarie Private
• Warner's Bay Private
• Newcastle Private

The theatre and bed fees vary between each hospital. If you have top hospital cover with your health fund, including prosthetic cover which is for the band device, then you should be fully covered for these fees, although it is wise to check your policy cover with your fund and also that they have an agreement with the above private hospitals. If you are not in a health fund then you can estimate that the out of pocket costs for the hospital, which includes the band device, will be approximately $10,000.00. There is no Medicare rebate claimable for private hospital fees.

If your outcome for surgery is going to be gastric bypass (Medicare item No: 30512) then omit the outlined fees above relating to Bronwyn James (Dietician) and Dr Tony Azzi, as adjustments will not be required. The consultation fees for Bronwyn will therefore revert to payment upon each visit as required.

It is highly unlikely that any person will be able to have gastric banding or gastric bypass performed in the public hospital as it is not funded.