I guess you could call this a bargain.
My new doctor doesn't have connections to specialists who bulk-bills, and I would require pocketing out cash. I am a student on health-care card. Does anyone know any specialists who bulk-bill? I'm specifically looking for a gastroenterologist but it'll be great if you could list other specialists too for future use. Please don't say hospitals cause there's a long waiting time for that. Thanks in advance
No it's not supposed to be a joke, I tried my best to make it not sound sarcastic. I read through my post and know what you mean haha
I don't think they exist, do they? Either go to hospital and wait, or pay. Having said that, specialists are exorbitant.
Which city are you in?
Many specialists bulkbill, especially Cardiologists and gastroenterologists because these guys can do examinations that they can bill medicare. The others who rely solely on consultations are bit hard because they do not have alternative source of income from the rooms.
The trick is to try to see a specialist that is relatively new and is in a heavily competitive area. You also need to ask the receptionist to ask the doctor for bulk bill when you make the appointment and state you are a poor student. Many specialists bulkbill concession/pensioners or financial difficulty. Avoid wealthy areas like Bondi in Sydney, go for crowded but middle class area like Campsie / Parramatta.
Not all public clinic have long waiting list, and a lot of it depend on how serious your condition is.
Thanks for your comment.
I'm from the inner west area but don't mind travelling the distance as long as it's not in the radius to Blacktown. Would that be any help?
Sounds like a good idea but that's going to be difficult trying to find new specialists. I'd have to call places and ask if they bulk bill.
Ahaha! I have never seen "specialist" and "bulk bill" in the same sentence, so would be interested to know if they do do it. That said, if they don't, call specialists located in the lower socio-economic areas as they are likely to be cheaper.
Ahaha! I have never seen "specialist" and "bulk bill" in the same sentence, so would be interested to know if they do do it.
I wanted to go to a dermatologist to see my skin issues at one point. They only do a medicare-rebate, so the true cost was $125 after $75 rebate (paid $200 upfront).
The dermatologist there genuinely wanted to help me (I haven't returned though), gave me as many samples and for every prescription she gave me, she went and got authority scripts (so maximum I'd pay is $36.20) for large amounts of cream.
Normal doctors would have never bothered to do that.
Who was the dermatologist you saw? Is your acne really bad to see one? I would only think if it's very severe, then people should see them but mine's okay and still feel like I want to see one. My face isn't smooth cause of scars, always have blackheads that keep coming, and it's oily prone.
Dr Nghi Huynh in Rhodes.
It's not all about my acne.
I have these little bumps under my skin on my face, that when you press, a string-like discharge comes out of it. They aren't pimples. She called them keratin cysts.
The thing is I have eczema. When your skin is too dry, acne treatments don't really work (they rely on drying the skin out).
They aren't whiteheads or blackheads, because those form in opened pores. Mine are little bumps that have a different colour (white/pale) compared to the rest of the face.
Do you always get them? I have had a major string-like discharge that came out, and a few minor ones that didn't come out much. Do you think they'll accept health care card holders?
Do you always get them? I have had a major string-like discharge that came out, and a few minor ones that didn't come out much.
I figured out that me using steroid cream on my face has a positive correlation with the occurrence of them, but if I don't use steroid cream my face doesn't stop being flaky at times (it becomes uncontrollably dry). So I try to limit the steroid cream use.
But yes, I do have quite a few.
She told me everyone's skin produces it, some more than others.
Do you think they'll accept health care card holders?
I'm not sure, you can try call them up and ask.
She called them keratin cysts.
Correction they were "milial cysts"
okay thanks i'll give your place ago.
**outside the radius…
Does not let me edit.
sometimes you can ring the hospital and see if you can be seen as a public patient in clinic; some wait times are ok; better to get another gp who has bulk billing specialists on tap. you may need to work on trial and error.
Some specialists do bulk bill but it is very rare, especially for some specialities. I know some paediatricians who bulk bill patients with HCC but don't know any gastos. $75 from Medicare for a specialist is not enough… These doctors are not being remunerated appropriately. I also recently saw a good dermatologist. I have no qualms with paying some money to see a good caring doctor. But there are some really dodgy ones out there.
Who was the dermatologist you saw? Is your acne really bad to see one? I would only think if it's very severe, then people should see them but mine's okay and still feel like I want to see one. My face isn't smooth cause of scars, always have blackheads that keep coming, and it's oily prone.
Yeah I don't think you're gonna have much luck to be honest. It really depends how serious your condition is and whether or not it can wait. Another thing you can try is to book in on a hospital and call in on the day the clinics are held every week. At the western area hospitals, patients are horridly unreliable and some days only half the people turn up. If someone cancels on the day then maybe you could take their spot if you called reception at the beginning of clinic times?
Good luck :)
Is Westmead Hospital in the Western area? What's a western hospital closest to the east?
Westmead is in the western area but its quite a big tertiary hospital, so I'm not sure what your luck would be. Your GP would have to write you a referral to a specific doctor, so either they would have some insight or you just go luck of the draw?
Also in terms of acne, a good GP can help you try out everything before you turn up to a dermatologist. E.g. There are oral antibiotics and prescription creams that you can use before going to last line roaccutane (Which would be appropriate if you have severe scarring or uncontrollable acne). If your GP can manage it with the other stuff, then you've saved yourself quite a bit of money because I think a bulk billing dermatologist would be the most difficult to find.
a GP usually have a list of different specialists whom they trust to look after their patients and often have a long term professional working relationships with. But you know, let's forget about those guys and find the cheapest specialist in sydney, because they are all the same just like ipads and it is only your health right? Yes that was meant to sound sarcastic
i dont think so cause they usually just refer you to the closest specialist.
lol, was this supposed to be in the joke section? good luck buddy. you made me laugh