Eligible for Medicare?
If you are covered by Medicare, Australia’s public health system, and you attend an Eastern Health hospital or receive a service, most of your costs are covered.
Some out-of-pocket expenses may apply, and these can include:
- co-payments for services like physiotherapy delivered by the Sub-Acute Ambulatory Care team
- medicines or items/equipment you receive from an Eastern Health Pharmacy
- Transition Care Program charges, which change twice a year in March and September. At 20 March 2022, the rates are:
- $11.26 per day for home-based care or $54.69 per day for bed-based care.
- The daily charges are 17.5% of the single Age Pension for home-based care or 85% of the single Age Pension for bed-based care.
- Residential Aged Care charges, which vary and are based on a Centrelink assessment of a patient’s income and expenses.
Not eligible for Medicare?
If you are not eligible for Medicare you will have to pay for any medical treatment and care at an Eastern Health hospital or site before you are treated.
If you have health insurance with an Australian health fund or travel insurance, you may be able to claim some of the costs after you have paid Eastern Health. We have listed some of the more common costs and item codes to help you check the cover you may have with an insurance provider.
We will do our best to give you an accurate estimate, but sometimes costs may change because of the amount of time you spend in hospital or the amount of care you need.
Costs listed here are indicative only and not all will apply to your situation.
| Description | Item code | Cost |
| Emergency Department attendance fee* | n/a | $440 |
*Also called facility fee and treatment. Charged before you see a doctor or receive treatment.
| Description | Item code | Cost |
| Tests ordered by the Emergency Department doctor | MBS item code will be on your bill | Costs vary – ask your treating doctor for details |
| Description | Cost |
| Staying in a hospital bed, same day (includes Short Stay Unit) | $1,000 |
| Staying in a hospital bed overnight, per night (includes Short Stay Units) | $1,300–$4,000 |
| Staying in intensive care, per night | $4,000 |
| Staying in (heart) coronary care, per night | $3,000 |
| Receiving daytime (cancer) oncology services, per day | Up to $4,000 |
| Accommodation in the special care nursery, per night | $2,000 |
| Hospital in the Home, per visit; i.e. a medical and care service provided to patients who have been admitted to a public hospital and who are eligible to receive care in their own home or at another suitable location | $250 |
| Operating theatre charges. Ask your treating doctor for details. | Costs vary and align with the Medical Benefits Schedule, National Procedure Banding and published TAC theatre fees. |
|
Birthing/Delivery suite charges If you have cover with an Australian health insurance fund, costs align with the Medical Benefits Schedule, National Procedure Banding and published TAC theatre fees. If you have an Eastern Health Maternity Package, this fee is included in your package. |
Costs vary |
|
Caesarean section charges, including the birthing/delivery suite If you have cover with an Australian health insurance fund, costs align with the Medical Benefits Schedule, National Procedure Banding and published TAC theatre fees. If you have an Eastern Health Maternity Package, this fee is included in your package. |
Costs vary |
| Description | Item code | Cost |
| First appointment (including obstetricians) | 110 | $350 |
| Next and ongoing appointments, per visit (including obstetricians) | 116 | $240 |
| Midwife appointment, per visit (if you have an Eastern Health Maternity Package, this fee is included in your package.) | n/a | $240 |
| Domiciliary care, per visit (extended post-natal care after the birth; i.e. the midwife checks the mother and baby at home) | n/a | $250 |
| Description | Item code | Cost |
| Prostheses (e.g. items used during surgical procedures like surgical mesh, wire, screws). Costs vary and are specific to items used. | Code will be on your bill | As per hospital costs |
| Orthoses (e.g. braces and splints). Costs vary and are specific to items used. | n/a | As per hospital costs |
Pharmacy costs (all patients)
Eastern Health charges for prescriptions dispensed at an Eastern Health Pharmacy. The Pharmacy Department will create a bill for medicines Eastern Health dispenses.
For medicines dispensed by the hospital pharmacy, the bill will be in the bag with your medicines, and you can pay the bill at the Cashier’s office (see Ways to pay page for opening hours) or by any method listed on the bill.
Note that if a Transition Care Program (TCP) client receives medicines from the Peter James Centre Pharmacy, we will send a bill to the client or the person responsible for payment.
For Transition Care Program clients at the Simon Price Centre (Mont Albert North) and the Martin Luther Homes (The Basin), medications are provided by a community pharmacy. These medications are charged at the retail, PBS or Safety Net price, and the community pharmacy will send a bill for the medications to the client or responsible person.
If you have questions about TCP pharmacy charges, discuss this with your TCP Case Manager.