FOR PATIENTS

If you wish to claim Medicare rebates you must have a valid referral A valid referral can be for 12 months from your General Practitioner or 3 months from your specialist. If you have no valid referral you will be liable for the entire payment of services.

In most cases, once the decision has been made in consultation with your GP or other referring doctor to seek advice or treatment from a cardiologist at Mildura Cardiology, patients can ring to make their own appointments.

+ Alternatively the doctor may send the referral via the Argus system, the clinic will contact the patient with a time.

+ In cases deemed urgent by the referring doctors, they will ring Mildura Cardiology direct to make the appointment.

+ Where the patient is experiencing language difficulties the referring doctor’s reception staff will make the appointment on the patient’s behalf.

+ We provide some after hours and Saturday appointments.

Please inform our staff if you require an interpreter for your consultation, interpreters may be booked for either on-site or over the telephone.

Patients can help us deliver the best possible care by following a few simple guidelines:

1. Make sure Mildura Cardiology is given or is holding a valid referralon your behalf.  This will ensure you can claim Medicare rebates and inform the cardiologist of the background to your condition.
2. If you are attending for the first time please arrive 15 minutes early to fill out the patient information sheet and privacy consent form.  Alternatively you can download the Mildura Cardiology Patient Information Sheet& Privacy Consent and fill it out before attending the clinic, making sure to bring it with you.
3. For billing and Medicare rebate purposes it is vital you bring your Medicare and concession cards to the appointment.
4. It is very important that your cardiologist knows what medications you currently use.  The safest way to be sure we have the correct information is to bring the medications to the appointment.
5. X-rays which pertain to your condition should also be brought to appointments.  We will let you know when they are no longer required for you to take home.

If you are unable to attend your appointment it is in your own interests to ring and make another time without delay. That way we can also make the vacated appointment available to another patient.  Waiting times for appointments to see our heart specialists can be kept to a minimum if all available appointments are made available to patients.

Please be aware that a non attendance applies if you fail to cancel the appointment in advance.

Your referring doctor may have requested that one or more cardiac investigations be carried out. The range of cardiac investigation tests available at Mildura Cardiology using the latest equipment with the cardiologists supported by highly trained staff.  The information on Cardiac Investigation Tests explains the nature and purpose of each test and any preparation you need to make before the day of the appointment.

We accept full or gap payments on the day of your appointment.

Payment can be made in cash, cheque, eftpos or by credit card.

All Medicare accounts can be processed immediately at our rooms so that you can receive your Medicare Rebate directly into your bank account, provided you have registered your banking details Medicare. Alternatively, you can take the claim directly to a Medicare office for same day reimbursement. If a gap payment is made, we will lodge the account with Medicare, you will be sent a cheque by Medicare in approximately 3-6 weeks which will then need to be forwarded on to us.

Patient records are protected by our compliance with all privacy legislation and the guidelines of relevant professional bodies such as the AMA.

A request for access to your medical record held by Mildura Cardiology should be directed to your treating cardiologist.

Our doctors and staff are passionate about being first choice in cardiology for patients and referring doctors.  We apply a culture of continuous learning and improvement to all aspects of our services, with patient wellbeing as the focus of all our activity.

If you feel there are instances where we could have done better we would welcome your feedback.  Your concerns will always be treated respectfully and resolved promptly. Issues should be raised with your treating cardiologist or the Mildura Cardiology practice manager.