YOUR APPOINTMENT
You have received a date and time for your initial appointment - what next?
What to expect at your initial appointment
An initial appointment is 45 minutes. Together we will explore your pain history and talk about your pain management thus far, as address any immediate concerns or goals you wish to discuss.
Following this, an initial management plan will be formulated and be communicated to you and your general practitioner. You will receive a letter summarising our appointment. Sometimes patients are referred for a specific purpose or intervention by their GP. The suitability of this will be discussed at the time of your appointment and assessed. It may not mean that the intervention is what you will need or receive.
Your pain specialist is unable to perform nerve blocks or other procedures at the time of your initial appointment.
Please find a link below to download further information about your appointment as well as our practice policy.
What should I bring to my initial appointment?
After an appointment has been offered, you will need to complete and return the following Patient Forms (see below) at least 3 business days prior to your initial appointment in order for your pain specialist to prepare for your consultation.
Please take your time to read and acknowledge our practice policies including fee structure.
Most medical correspondence from your referrer and/or other specialists should have been received before your appointment date. Imaging from some radiology providers (e.g. IMED and Lumus) can be retrieved via online portals but not all. Bringing hard copies or forwarding reports or letters to our rooms beforehand is appreciated.
Fees & Payments
Please note that this is a private billing practice. A $100 pre-paid, non-refundable holding fee is required to confirm your appointment a week before your scheduled initial consultation and serves as a cancellation fee in case of last minute non-attendance or rescheduling with less than 24 hours notice.
Once you attend the appointment, this fee is credited towards the total amount, the balance of the consultation fee is to be paid in full at the time of your consultation. Initial consultation fee is $380 before Medicare rebate of $137.65. Review fee is $180 before Medicare rebate of $68.90. Workcover/TAC/DVA must produce a copy of initial consultation approval or pre-payment of the consultation fee above will be requested and a receipt provided for you to liaise with your third-party provider following your appointment.
Extended Medicare Safety Net
You may be eligible for greater Medicare rebates (up to 80% of your out-of-pocket costs) if you meet the Extended Medicare Safety Net threshold of
● $2184 for single people and families
● $697.00 for patients with concession including a Health Care Card holder, a Pensioner Concession Card holder
Couples and families should contact Medicare to register their family members as part of a safety net eligible family. Registering as a family allows eligible out-of-pocket costs for each individual family member to count toward the family’s threshold.
Further information can be found at:
http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/medicare-safety-net
Appointment Cancellation Policy
We understand that unforeseen circumstances can occur to anyone.
If appointments are cancelled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours notice or you do not attend, your $100 pre-paid fee will be absorbed. This is to cover some of the cost of time to the Specialist, practice administration and the lost opportunity for another patient to be scheduled in.
If you are Workcover/DVA or ADF Patient, this cancellation will be paid by yourself personally and not covered by the third party.
Frequently Asked Questions
I need a report written for my third-party provider to assess my ability to return to work. Will you be able to do this?
This is assessed on a case-by-case basis and is not a routine clinical service that is provided.
Can I get scripts prescribed?
Dr Seah does not provide a prescribing service or hold permits for ongoing prescription. It is recommended that ongoing patients have a regular GP. Repeat scripts are issued by your General Practitioner. On the odd occasion that a script is required, this will require a telehealth consultation which attract normal consult fees or script fee. Medicinal Cannabis is not prescribed at this clinic. Dr Seah does not issue supporting letters for DVA card holders to obtain Medicinal Cannabis.
What happens if I am running late?
Please give reception a ring on 9125 3969 to advise if you are running late or leave us a note via a brief email. There is a 15 minute grace period after which time, your appointment may need to be cut short or postponed. Melbourne traffic and parking availability is unpredictable. Please give yourself enough time to settle in prior to your appointment.
Do you offer bulk-billing of procedures?
Ours is a private billing practice and we are unable to offer procedures at the MBS scheduled fee.
Are you suffering from Chronic Pain?
Melbourne Pain & Anaesthesia offers a variety of pain management interventions for patients across Melbourne. Request an Appointment with Dr Gloria Seah on HealthShare or by using the button below: