Payments and Insurance

Our clinic offers transparent fees, with Medicare rebates and concession rates available.

For patients with private health insurance (including hospital cover) we have agreements with all Australian health insurers. Pension and concession card holders will have no or low-gap surgical fees. For non-concession card holders, your out of pocket cost will vary on your insurer and type of procedure you are having.

Patients without insurance are still able to have surgery performed in a private hospital by Mr Duff, however the costs that would normally be covered by the health insurance company are instead covered by the patient. The surgeon’s fee, anaesthetist’s fee and surgical assistant’s fee are eligible for a Medicare rebate. The hospital fee (including prostheses and implants) which is the largest cost associated with surgery, is not Medicare rebateable.

Consultation Fees

Our private Perth-based orthopaedic practice applies the following fees.

Initial Consultation: $280.00
- Medicare rebate: $86.15
- Concession rate: $200.00
Subsequent Consultation: $160.00
- Medicare rebate $43.35
- Concession rate: $100.00

We can lodge your Medicare claim electronically on the day for your convenience. For DVA card holders, we send your account directly to DVA.

If your treatment relates to a Worker’s Compensation or Motor Vehicle Accident claim, bring your complete claim details to your appointment.

Surgical Costs

There are several costs to surgery, each with pricing dependent on factors such as your procedure, your private health insurance company, and the level of cover you might have. While most patients believe they are paying bills for only the surgeon, there are actually multiple providers and professionals who are billing Medicare, the Health Insurance Provider, and occasionally directly to you for a procedure.

Potential Fees Include:

Surgeon fees – these are dependent on the procedure
Anaesthetist fees – these are based on the time taken for your procedure. Your anaesthetist will always contact you prior to surgery to obtain informed financial consent
Surgical Assistant fees – if you have the required level of cover for the type of procedure you are having, there is no out of pocket cost for the Surgical Assistant fee
Hospital charges – this includes your hospital stay and theatre fees (included any prostheses or implants). If you have the required level of cover on your insurance for the type of procedure you are having, these charges are covered under your ‘Hospital Excess’. Mr Duff only uses prostheses and implants that are on the health insurance list of approved prostheses.
Inpatient radiology – Private health insurers have individual agreements with hospitals. Patients with private health insurance may have an out of pocket cost for inpatient radiology, depending on their insurer.
Pharmacy costs – The hospital pharmacy will send an invoice for any medications you are discharged with

When booking your surgery, we will provide a quote for Mr Duff’s surgical fee only. We will provide you with the contact details for your anaesthetist to confirm their fees.

You should check with your private health insurer regarding:

Coverage for your proposed surgery – do you have the required level of cover for the procedure you are booking?
Any applicable waiting periods
Excess or co-payment requirements for hospital admission

Estimated Costs Without Private Health Insurance

If you don’t have private health insurance with hospital cover, or lack the required level of coverage, approximate total costs for private hospital procedures are:

Hip or knee joint replacement: $25,000-$35,000
ACL reconstruction or repair: $8,000-$15,000
Arthroscopic knee surgery: $5,000-$8,000

These figures include surgeon, anaesthetist, assistant surgeon and hospital fees (including nightly bed and theatre fees, prosthetics, consumables), inpatient radiology, and pharmaceuticals.

For more information on common medical costs in Australia, visit Medical Costs Finder.