Frequently asked questions about your appointment
Fees
Fees depend on the service being provided and may vary when you see the doctor. Fees depend on the service being provided and may vary when you see the doctor and which doctor you see. If you have any queries regarding the fees please contact our reception at reception@perthallergy.com.au.
Full payment of fees is required on the day of your appointment. Payment methods include cash, EFTPOS or credit card (Mastercard and Visa only). We do not accept cheques. You will be entitled to a rebate from Medicare following payment of your account, which can be claimed immediately at the time of the consultation. If you do not pay on the day, you will be charged an additional administrative fee of $40.
This is a private clinic, if you are unable to afford the costs of seeing our doctors, please ask your Doctor to refer you to the Allergy Service at your local hospital.
What to bring
On the day of your appointment bring any current and old x-rays or CT scans, and a list of your current medications. If you are taking any inhalers or nasal sprays, also bring them with you.
You will need to bring a current referral letter (if required), unless one has already been sent. Referrals are the responsibility of the patient, therefore it is up to you to ensure your referral is current and valid. It is a Medicare requirement that you have a valid referral to ensure you receive your entitled refund. If you do not have a current referral your Medicare rebate will be drastically reduced.
Referrals from your General Practitioner generally last 12 months, and from another specialist, only last 3 months.
Allergy Tests
Allergy tests are generally performed when seeing our doctors. If you are having allergy tests, please stop all antihistamines for at least 3 days prior to your visit if possible. Some people cannot stop them and we understand this but we may not be able to interpret your tests. You should NOT stop nasal sprays, or asthma medications.
Cancellation policy
If you cannot attend an appointment you need to notify us at least 24 hours before. This enables us to provide an appointment to another patient. If you cancel with less than 24 hours notice, or do not attend your scheduled appointment, a $110 cancellation fee will apply for new patients and $44 for review patients. This fee is not refunded by Medicare and must be paid before further appointments can be made.
How long will I be there?
You will usually be seen within 15 minutes of your appointment time. Please arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to enable us to collect your details. Occasionally our doctors may be delayed because of emergencies, or other patients who arrive late to their scheduled appointment.
Appointments will generally be between 10-45 minutes but it is safest to allow at least one hour of your time. Testing for penicillin and insect allergies can take much longer, up to 3 hours.
Can I have an allergy test without seeing one of your doctors?
Unfortunately, as a specialist practice, we are only able to perform testing as part of a consultation with one of our doctors.
What will happen?
On arrival our reception staff will greet you and obtain any required information from you. They will then let our medical staff know that you have arrived. The doctors will then listen to your history and perform appropriate skin testing.
Following this, your Doctor will interpret the skin test, review all your results, including relevant X-rays and advise on management options.
Will my health insurance pay part of the costs?
Medicare will contribute towards the costs but health insurance funds only pay for people who receive treatment while they are in hospital, as such they will not pay for a clinic visit.
Health insurance companies often pay money towards the cost of desensitisation, although this varies between health care providers. You will need to talk to your health insurance company to check.
