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

  Cairns Family Medical Centre is a private billing practice, so fees are at the discretion of your treating doctor. Our standard fee for a consultation on a weekday is $90.00, and Saturday’s standard consult fee is $95, but may vary depending on the length of your consultation.

  Children under 16, pensioners and Health Care Card holders will be bulk billed.

  Please contact us if you wish to discuss the fee for your appointment.

  Our policy is that payments are to be made on the day of consultation. Accepted payment methods include credit card, EFTPOS and cash.

  A Non Attendance fee for an appointment not attended will be charged.

• Appointments

  An appointment for a standard consultation will be made with your preferred doctor or the next available doctor, depending on your preference.

  Extended consultations are available on request. If you anticipate that your consultation will be long, please advise the receptionist when making the appointment.

  SMS message reminders for appointment times are sent at 5pm on the day prior to the appointment.

  Our appointments are classified and invoiced as follows:

  • Minor Service (Level A)
    A brief service for an obvious problem characterised by the straightforward nature of the task that requires a short patient history and, if required, limited examination and management.
  • Specific Service (Level B)
    A service which requires of the General Practitioner a selective history and examination of the patient, to assess and manage the problem.
  • Extended Service (Level C)
    A service distinguished by more complex tasks required of the general practitioner when confronted with several alternative diagnoses which require a detailed history, multiple system examination, possible investigations and management.
  • Comprehensive Service (Level D)
    A service that requires of the general practitioner a complex intellectual process, involving exhaustive history, multiple system examination and the possible arrangement and evaluation of complex investigations in consideration of multiple alternative diagnoses.
• 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.

• Cancellation

  There may be a cancellation fee if we do not receive notice of your cancellation.

  We need 24 hours notice if you wish to cancel an appointment prior to midday or minimum of two hours notice for afternoon appointments.

  If we receive late notice of your cancellation the fee may also apply. This enables us to reschedule the day for other patients.

  A fee may also apply if you miss your appointment without any cancellation notice.

• 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.

• Health information

  Patients are able to have access to their medical records, but need to discuss this with their doctor. IF you require your notes to be transferred to another practice you will be required to sign a release form and will incur a fee of $30 to cover administration costs. No information will be released without your written consent.

• Complaints

  This practice acknowledges that patient complaints are an important source of customer feedback. Under the Human Rights Commission Act 2005, people with complaints should try to resolve them directly with the health service provider or medical centre. If a satisfactory outcome is not achieved then complaints can be directed to:

  Office of Health Ombudsman
  PO Box 13281
  Brisbane QLD 4003
  Phone 133 646