Your anaesthetist from Axxon Health is a medical specialist
Their fees are distinct from those of the surgeon and hospital. The amount charged for anaesthetic services is determined by the type of surgery you are about to undergo, the duration of your operation and the complexity of monitoring and management that you will require.
The fees charged by your anaesthetist are based upon those recommended by the Australian Medical Association (AMA), the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) and the Australian Government’s Medicare Benefits Schedule (Relative Value Guide). The fee charged by your Axxon Anaesthetist are substantially less than those recommended by the Australian Medical Association in most instances.
If you have private health insurance, you may be able to claim a rebate in addition to any rebate from Medicare Australia, toward your anaesthetic fees. These rebates depend on the particular terms and conditions of your policy, and the type of procedure that is proposed. Axxon Health can normally estimate the total rebates you will receive based on a particular estimate of fees.
It should be noted that numerous health funds have chosen to minimise their costs by generally setting their rebate on anaesthetic fees at between 25% & 45% of the Australian Medical Association’s recommended fee. When there is a difference between your anaesthetist’s fee and your health fund rebate there will be an out-of-pocket amount payable to the anaesthetist.
Your Informed Financial Consent (estimate of fees) or Invoice will contain item numbers based on the Australian Government’s Medical Benefits Schedule (Relative Value Guide). This guide requires anaesthetists to use specific item numbers for their fees according to the consultations, surgery type, duration, blood transfusions, epidurals and other special procedures and monitoring that occur.
Estimates of the fee are usually provided prior to surgery. If this has not occurred, complete this form for an emailed estimate.
"Known Gap" Fees
Certain health funds will rebate you a higher proportion of anaesthetic fees providing certain conditions are met. If your health fund participates and the requisite conditions are met, for a given total anaesthetic fee there will be a lower out-of-pocket expense to be paid to the anaesthetist.
The conditions vary between health funds, but generally include:
- Mandatory computerised processing of your invoice with your health fund by our office staff at Axxon Health.
- An upper-limit of out-of-pocket expenses with respect to anaesthetic fees to which the anaesthetist must agree. This is sometimes possible, but needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis, especially for longer and more complex procedures.
- Particular terms and conditions of your policy with your health fund.
- Some anaesthetists at Axxon Health will require prepayment of the out-of-pocket expenses in certain circumstances if they agree to participate in “known gap” arrangements.
Some Axxon Health Anaesthetist’s estimate of fees will be prepared using “known gap” arrangements already if above conditions are met. Please contact our office if you have any questions or if you have not received an estimate of fees.