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

  Mountain Retreat General Practice is a private billing practice.

  Please present your Medicare card, concession and pension on arrival for your appointment. For non-Medicare cardholders, a fee will apply.

  Some services are not covered by Medicare such as pre-employment medicals. Please refer to our summary of fees displayed at reception. For newborns please advise our reception staff of the Medicare number.

• Appointments

  We run by an appointment system to minimise your waiting time; however urgent cases will be seen on the day.

  Due to unforeseen circumstances, such as an emergency, delays can sometimes occur, and your patience would be appreciated if this should happen before your appointment.

  A routine appointment is 15 minutes. Walk in appointments are available and will be triaged accordingly. If you require a longer appointment, please discuss this with the receptionist when booking your appointment.

  We ask patients to arrive on time for their appointment so other patients are not inconvenienced.

  Telehealth appointments are available for patients that have been seen face to face within the last 12 months.

• Cancellations/Did Not Attend

  We understand that circumstances sometimes change and are accommodating of this, however failure to attend scheduled appointments results in our doctor’s time being underutilised and reduces the opportunity for other patients to be seen for treatment. If you are unable to attend your appointment please contact us at least three hours before the appointed time; failure to do so will incur a non-attendance/late-cancellation fee of $33 for a single 15-minute appointment, or $55 for a 30-minute appointment. These amounts are inclusive of GST.

  Please note that ‘non-attendance’ and ‘late-cancellation’ fees are ineligible for Medicare rebate.

• After Hours

  If you have an emergency please telephone 000 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

  We are pleased to offer After Hours consultations. Call (03) 6223 5570 to book your appointment with our After Hours coordinator. Our doctor will contact you at an appointment time of your choice, generally within 1 hour.

  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

  All requests for medical certificates must involve a consultation with your doctor. We do not issue medical certificates without you attending an appointment with your doctor and we are not permitted to issue certificates retrospectively without a consultation with your doctor. Please advise reception at time of booking if your appointment is simply to obtain a Medical Certificate.

• Reminder System

  Our practice is committed to preventive care and participates in National and State reminder systems. We offer a reminder system for cervical screening tests, immunisations, blood tests and other preventive health services appropriate to your care. If you do not wish to be part of this system, please advise our reception staff.

• Telephone Calls

  Your doctor is available by telephone; however, calls to the doctor can sometimes inconvenience patients while having their consultation so a message will be taken. In some cases, the nurse or receptionist may be able to assist you.

  If your call is urgent, you will be put through to the nurse and triaged accordingly. Messages may be left for the attention of the doctor and will be returned as soon as possible.

• Scripts

  We ask where possible that you try to obtain your scripts during your consultation. If you need repeat scripts, we ask that you make an appointment to see your doctor so that the medical condition for which the scripts are written can be checked.

• Referrals

  We prefer to discuss your condition with you before referring to a specialist. If you have previously seen a particular specialist for an ongoing problem and require a repeat referral, please advise our receptionist.

• Test Results

  Test results may require an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor may ask you to return for the results of a test rather than telephone if required.

• Communicating with you via Email

  Emails will be actioned within 2 business days. We are not able to guarantee the security of general email, please do not send your clinical information or personal details to us by email.

  If you need to speak with us urgently during our opening hours or do not receive a reply to your email, please contact us by phone.

  For a medical emergency, please call 000.

• Home Visits

  Home visits may be available for existing patients who are too ill or disabled to attend the practice, however this is at the discretion of the doctor. It is best to phone early in the day if a home visit is required. You will be informed if fees apply.

• 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.

• Patient Feedback

  We invite our patients to complete a patient survey on their experience at our practice. These surveys are completely confidential and will help us to improve our services to you.

  We take your concerns seriously so please feel free to talk to your Doctor, Practice Manager or one of the staff members about any problems you may have had with our service.

  We believe that problems are best dealt with within the practice. However, if you feel there is a matter you wish to take up outside the practice, you may contact:

  Health Complaints Commissioner Tasmania
  PO Box 960, Hobart Tas 7001
  P: 1800 001 170
  E: health.complaints@ombudsman.tas.gov.au

  If a satisfactory outcome is not achieved then complaint can be directed to the Health Services Commissioner for action by calling 03 8601 5200.