Consultation fees:

Initial consultation:	$210 (medicare rebate $78)
Follow-up visit:	$120 (medicare rebate $39)

Patients with aged pension cards

You will be bulk billed for consultations.

Telehealth Consults During COVID-19 crisis

These will be bulked billed. 

DVA Gold card holders

The bill for the consultation fee will be sent to the DVA. 

Workcover Patients

There will be no charge to you for your consultations or surgery.

Surgical Operations Fees (patients with private health fund)

Endoscopy (Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy)

There will be no Gap.  The accounts will be sent directly to the health fund for payment with no extra charge from our clinic. 

General Surgery

Operations such as gallbladder operation (cholecystectomy), primary groin hernia operations and umbilcal hernia operations are charged as Known-Gap. This means that there is a 500$ out of pocket charged from our clinic you pay prior to the operation and your health fund will their part. 

Patients with NIB health fund: unfortuately NIB health fund does not participate in the Known-Gap scheme. Therefore, you will fees will be based on the fee schedule of the Australia Medical Assosiaton. You can claim a rebate from your helath fund after surgery. 

 

More complex operations such as incisional hernia, recurernt hernia operations are charrged acocrding to the Australian Medical Association, You can claim a rebate from your helath fund after surgery. 

Obesity Surgery

Obesity Surgery Care Program

Our Obesity Surgery Care Program includes

1. Reviews by Dr Ali Zarrouk for 12 months
2. Reviews by our clinic dietitian before and after surgery for 12 months
3. Portion Perfection Plate and Bowl for Bariatrics
4. BN Multi chewable multivitamins for the first month
5. The comprehensive book "Your Complete Guide to Nutrition for Weight Loss Surgery" by Sally Johnston

Sleeve Gastrectomy

Patients with private health insurance cover
Care program cost is $4,900. The in-hospital fees for the surgeon, anaesthetist and surgical assistant are invoiced directly to your health fund.
Hosptial charges: normally covered by health funds
Please check with your health fund about your level of cover. The item number for sleeve gastrectomy is 31575.

Patients without private health insurance (self funded)
Care program cost is $6,500. The in-hospital fees for the surgeon, anaesthetist and surgical assistant are invoiced directly to medicare.
Hospital charges:are around $10500. Check with hospital.
We advice patients without private health insurance to join a health fund. After the standard waiting period of 12 months the health fund will cover the costs of the private hospital and equipments used which make the bulk of the total cost. While waiting for your health fund to kick-in, you can make use of your time to prepare for surgery both mentally and physically.

Gastric Bypass:

Primary gastric bypass ( no previous weight loss oir hiatal hernia surgery) 

Patients with private health insurance cover
Care program cost is $5,900. The in-hospital fees for the surgeon, anaesthetist and surgical assistant are invoiced directly to your health fund.
Hosptial charges: are normally covered by health funds
Please check with your health fund about your level of cover. The item number for gastric bypass is 31572.

Patients without private health insurance(self funded)
We advice patients without private health insurance to join a health fund. After the standard waiting period of 12 months the health fund will cover the costs of the private hospital and equipments used which make the bulk of the total cost. While waiting for your health fund to kick-in, you can make use of your time to prepare for surgery both mentally and physically.

Revsional gastric bypass ( patients with previous weight loss surgery e.g sleeve or gastric band) 

Patients with private health insurance cover
Care program cost is $6,900. The in-hospital fees for the surgeon, anaesthetist and surgical assistant are invoiced directly to your health fund.
Hosptial charges:are normally covered by health funds

Gastric Band Removal

Patients with private health insurance: 
This will be charged according to fees schedule of the Australian Medical Association. You can claim a rebate from your helath fund after surgery. You need to be on top cover for your health fund to cover you for this operation. The item number for this operation is 31585. 

Patients without private health insurance: Surgery is done at Campbelltown Public Hospital under medicare.

Early Release of Superannuation

Some patients elect to access their super to pay for the cost of obesity surgery. Before deciding to use your super we advice you to speak with your accountant or fianicial adviser. Remember that money in your superfund is accumulating interest and accessing it now means that you will lose on that interest when you decide to retire. Check the website of Department of Human Services for more information and forms.
To apply you will need three application forms (yourself, GP and us). The application process takes about 4-6 weeks and the money is released into your account.

Obesity Surgery in Public Hospitals

I share your frustration for the lack of the access to obesity surgery at public hospitals in NSW. I hope we will be able to offer the surgery for our patients at Campbelltown Public Hospital in the future.