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Your first visit

Preparing for your first appointment with Dr Lambers will help ensure your visit is as smooth and productive as possible. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your consultation.

How to Prepare

What to bring

To help Dr Lambers provide you with the best care, please bring the following items:

  • Referral Letter: A referral from your general practitioner or another specialist is required, although this is likely to be sent electronically. Ask your GP at the time of referral how it will be sent, and whether you need a copy. If you are unsure, you can also call the rooms and check we have a copy before your appointment to ensure you are able to be seen.
  • Current Medicare Card: This is essential for processing Medicare rebates to reduce your out of pocket expense for the appointment.
  • Private Health Insurance Details: If you have private health insurance, please bring the relevant information including your fund name, whether you have hospital cover and your membership number.
  • Imaging and Reports: Bring all CDs or hard copies of imaging such as X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, and MRI scans related to your condition if you have them. If you have radiologist reports, include these as well. If you do not have copies, which is often the case, please contact our office at least 24 hours before your appointment with the location of your imaging provider so we can assist in accessing your records electronically.
  • List of Current Medications: Include dosages and any supplements you are taking
  • Workcover or TAC Claim Details: Bring your claim number and insurer details if your appointment is related to an injury covered by Workcover or TAC.
  • Appropriate Clothing: Wear loose clothing that allows easy access to the area of concern for examination such as shorts, loose pants or a dress for hip and leg problems or a singlet or bra for shoulder and arm problems.

Before your appointment

  • Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled time to complete the necessary paperwork
  • To make the most of your consultation, consider preparing questions in advance. Visit Choosing Wisely for guidance on communicating with healthcare providers in general.

Fees

Dr Lambers provides transparent fee structures to ensure you know what to expect.

Consultation Fees

  • Initial Consultation:
    • $210 (Medicare rebate: $74.25, out-of-pocket: $135.75)
  • Follow-up appointment: 
    • $110 (Medicare rebate: $37.35, out-of-pocket: $72.65)
  • Post-Surgery Wound Check if Applicable (2 Weeks):
    • No charge
  • 6 Week Post-Surgery Review:
    • No charge
  • Further Reviews After 6 Weeks:
    • $110 (Medicare rebate: $37.35, out-of-pocket: $72.65)

Public or private?

Dr Lambers is committed to providing exceptional care across both the public and private healthcare settings:

  • Public Surgery (Northeast Health Wangaratta): Surgery is performed at no cost to the patient for all medicare card holders. The waiting list is managed by the hospital and time to surgery depends on the urgency of your condition. Training surgeons and junior doctors will be involved with delivering your care. Read more about surgery at Northeast Health Wangaratta Public Hospital  here.
  • Private Surgery (Wangaratta Private Hospital): Surgery will involve a degree of out-of-pocket expenses, but may offer shorter waiting times, a quieter stay and increased flexibility with scheduling. Surgery is performed by Dr. Lambers and an assistant. Read more about surgery at Wangaratta Private Hospital here.
  • Local Surgery with Alpine Health: some minor procedures can be performed at the Bright or Mt Beauty theatres and Dr Lambers will discuss this with you if it is appropriate.

Surgery Fees

  • Public Hospital (Northeast Health Wangaratta): No out-of-pocket costs for public patients. Surgery is fully covered by the hospital for all medicare patients.
  • Private Hospital (Wangaratta Private Hospital):
    • Surgeries involve a $500 out-of-pocket surgeon fee under the known-gap payment scheme
    • Payment is required at least 2 weeks before surgery and can be made via credit card or electronic funds transfer
    • Additional costs may apply for:
      • Anaesthetist or assistant fees
      • Insurance excess paid to the hospital (typically $500)
      • In-hospital tests or imaging
  • Imaging and blood tests: not all imaging providers will bulk bill for services such as x-rays, MRI or CT scans and there may be out of pocket expenses for these if requested by Dr Lambers at your appointment.

Self-funded (Uninsured) Surgery in Private

  • If you do not have private health insurance but wish to pay for treatment in a private hospital it is possible, however Dr Lambers offers all procedures at no cost to the patient at the Northeast Health Wangaratta public hospital which is the preferred alternative
  • If surgery is offered then you will be provided a quote for surgery
  • The quote for surgery is an estimate of the total surgical cost, including what the health funds would normally cover, and includes fees required by the hospital for staff and theatre
  • This can be substantial, in the order of $15,000 to $30,000, depending on the procedure
  • For Self-funding patients the total fee will consist of:
    • Hospital fees – a quote for this will be organised by the hospital
    • The difference between Dr Lambers’ surgical fee and the medicare rebate (you still get a medicare rebate for the procedure, but this is small compared to the total hospital and other costs)
    • The gap for radiology, pathology services
    • Physiotherapy services
    • Orthopaedic implant fees
    • Anaesthetic fees
    • Assistant surgeon fees
  • There can be unanticipated events that greatly increase the cost of your stay. If you are concerned about the total cost of your quote, or the unpredictability, surgery through the public system is recommended which Dr Lambers can provide

Telehealth

For your convenience, Dr Lambers offers telehealth consultations in certain cases:

  • Initial Appointments: It is recommended that you see Dr Lambers in person for your first visit to allow for a thorough physical examination. Exceptions are possible if you live far away, however a face to face review will still be required if surgery is to be considered.
  • Follow-Up Appointments: Telehealth may be suitable for post-operative check-ins or to discuss test results, particularly for patients living a great distance from our consulting location.

If you’re unsure whether telehealth is right for your situation, our office team will be happy to advise.

Preparing for your visit

By arriving prepared and informed, you’ll help ensure a successful appointment and greater peace of mind surrounding your surgical path. If you have additional questions or need assistance before your visit, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Looking for something specific?

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Key topics of interest

Yes, we accept all major private health funds. Please provide your insurance details prior to your appointment so we can verify your membership. You will need to contact your insurer if proceeding with surgery in a private hospital to ensure your membership plan covers that particular procedure.

There is a gap fee for consultations and surgery, depending on your insurance and level of cover. The out of pocket expense for the surgeon for an operation is $500 for most health funds. We will provide a written estimate before any procedure.

Yes, for most major health insurers Dr Lambers participates in the known gap scheme which aims to keep out of pocket expenses for the surgery fee to $500. Please note additional out of pocket costs such as the anaesthetic cost, imaging, tests and hospital excess can still apply in addition to this.

Yes, we accept approved WorkSafe Victoria, SafeWork NSW and TAC referrals. Please ensure your claim number and approval are in place before your appointment and provide the injury date, claim number (TAC) and both employer and insurer (WorkSafe) where applicable.

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