FAQ’s

Patient Information

• HotDoc Payments

  Why is our clinic using HotDoc Payments?
  We use HotDoc to securely process payment for your appointments. What’s more, it provides added convenience for patients who prefer to book and pay online, with an option to save details for your next consultation. For our current fees, please refer to the Fees section below.

  Do I need to pay upfront for my appointment?
  You will be asked to add your card details at the time of booking. We will wait until after your consultation to collect the full payment. You may see a temporary charge of US$1 where we validate your card but this money is refunded right away. The full payment will be taken once the Doctor finalises your consultation.
  Our clinic also sends payment requests via SMS for outstanding accounts. In this case, you will be sent an SMS requesting payment with a HotDoc link attached to process your payment.

  How do I claim my Medicare rebate?
  Our clinic will process your Medicare rebate via patient claiming.

  Does HotDoc store my card details?
  No. The financial organisations we partner with and trust to verify and store your card details are called Stripe, Pin Payments and Spreedly. They are accredited by the Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) and are Level 1 certified. For more information, please see HotDoc Payments Security.

  Can HotDoc see my card details?
  No. Your card details, expiry, CVV codes and data are not visible to HotDoc nor the practice, and we do not collect or store these details.

  Why was US$1 charged to my card after I added a payment method?
  When you add a payment method there will be a US$1 pending charge processed on your card. In all cases, you will never be charged the amount as this is a temporary pre-authorisation in order for the financial organisations that we partner with to verify your card details.

  How can I request a refund?
  HotDoc does not process refunds. Please contact our clinic for a refund.

  How do I add or delete my payment details?
  Log into your HotDoc account or Partnered Health APP, view your account details and update as required.

  If you would like to read more about how HotDoc handles security as well as your personal information, please view HotDoc security page and privacy policy. To see how HotDoc financial providers handle security and privacy, please view the links below:
  Pin Payments Security / Pin Payments Privacy
  Spreedly Security / Spreedly Privacy

  You can also check out HotDoc payment security FAQs for more information:
  Payments Security FAQs
  Patient Privacy and Security

  

• Fees

  Essendon Fields Medical Centre is a mixed billing clinic.

  On weekdays we bulk bill the following:

  • Children under 16 years
  • DVA card holders
  • Healthcare card holders
  • Government concession card holders

  For patients who don’t fit the above, there is an out of pocket fee of $45 during the week.

  On weekends:

  • $40 for those we normally bulk bill
  • $60 for everyone else who holds a valid Medicare card

  Effective 1 January 2024, we will be charging an out-of-pocket fee of $45 for phone consultations. This excludes Healthcare, pension card holders and those under the age of  16.

• Appointments

  New patients require a long appointment. For regular patients, appointments can be booked online using
  either our website or Partnered Health app. Consultations are by appointment only but emergency cases will be dealt with promptly. Please advise our staff if you fell you need urgent medical attention. It is helpful
  if you can advise Reception if you require a Standard or Longer appointment such as Women’s Health, Shared Antenatal Care or Travel Medicine.

  Longer Consultations
  We do not charge extra gap fees for longer consults. We want to give you the appropriate time and care
  without running late for other patients, so please let reception know when you feel you’ll need a longer appointment.

• Cancellation

  If you are unable to attend a scheduled appointment, please contact us to cancel or change your appointment time. A fee will be charged for failure to attend or cancellation at short notice. This fee is to ensure valuable appointment times are not wasted and we can maximise GP availability and access for our patients.

• After Hours

  You can book a telehealth consultation during the After Hours period by clicking here. Fees apply.

  Our After Hours service should not be used in emergencies or life-threatening illnesses or injuries. If you require emergency assistance, call 000 for immediate help.

• Medical Certificates

  Medical certificates are available and can be requested at the time of consultation with your doctor.

  If you require a special consideration certificate, please bring the necessary paperwork to your consultation.

• Privacy and Confidentiality

  We comply with Australian Government Legislation, ensuring that the privacy of our patients is maintained.

  A copy of our privacy policy is available at reception.

  Further information is available from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1300 363 992

• Reminders and Practice Information

  Our practice is committed to preventative care and we may issue you with reminder notices or practice information from time to time.

  Please advise the staff if you do not wish to participate in this program.

• Patient Feedback

  If you have a problem we would like to discuss it. Feel free to talk to your GP or our Practice Manager. If you would prefer, you may put your complaint in writing: we take your concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously. If we are unable to resolve the issue you raise please contact:

  Health Services Commissioner
  30th Floor, 570 Bourke Street
  Melbourne VIC 3000
  Ph: 8601 5200
  Fax: 8601 5219
  Toll free: 1800 136 066
  Email: hsc@health.vic.gov.au