It is our hospital policy that all patients are fully informed of potential costs and that patients provide their informed financial consent before admission, this includes:
That all patients are provided an estimate of all expenses prior to admission to hospital.
In the event of an emergency admission, or where a patient has presented without a prior estimation, the reception staff will provide an estimate to the next-of-kin / carer / guardian.
In the event that the next-of-kin / carer / guardian is not available, the estimation of expenses will be discussed with the patient at the earliest opportunity, in consultation with the attending VMO / Specialist.
Staff responsible for providing estimates of patient expenses must be trained to do so and must have access to the relevate rate information.
For insured patients, a health fund eligibility check must be performed to confirm a patient's level of cover before estimating their expenses. An esimate is based on the information obtained from the health fund check with a patient's health fund.
For self-insured patients, estimates must be based on the item numbers, prosthetics, disposables, accommodation type and esimated length of stay nominated by the doctor.
Estimates must be provided to patients in writing using the hospital's standard Esimate of Expense form.
Esimates must comprise enough information to comply with the Commonwealth of Australia's Informed Financial Consent requirements.
The standard patient Estimate of Expense form must be explained to patients, including the terms and conditions.
Patients must sign the Informed Financial Consent form before admission.
For day surgery patients, staff must ensure that day and overnight out-of-pocket expenses are quoted in the event that a patient must stay overnight.
Where patients who do not have a booking request an estimate, they must be notified that the estimate provided may change when their doctor makes the booking, and that they must request another estimate at that time.
Patients with overseas health funds are treated as self-insured (unless the hospital has an arrangement with the fund).
Patients from overseas who are not insured by a contracted overseas health fund, must be quoted the standard self-insured rate. They must pay up-front and recover the cost from their health fund later. On discharge, they must pay any outstanding expenses in full and must be provided with a completed claim form and hospital receipted invoice.