Costs!!

Fees are different for each surgeon, anesthetist, hospital etc.  The level of PHI you have will also impact what you can claim.

To get an accurate guess ask for a list of expenses from the surgeon's office and then ring your PHI provider (HBF) and see what they will cover. You can also check with Medicare.

I'm being seen by Dr Greenslade in Brisbane and from looking at his website and info from this site, this is the list of expenses I've come up with:

Initial consultation $150 (about $65 back on Medicare)
Surgery fee $4500 (some back on both Medicare and PHI but likely to be about $3500 out of pocket)
Hospital stay expenses (covered by PHI but excess fee $500 to pay)
Dietician visits pre and post op (not covered although I'm double checking our PHI extras cover for this one)
Anesthetist fee up to $2000 (some back on both Medicare and PHI )
Assistant Surgeon $350 (payable to hospital - need to check whether my PHI covers this)
Optifast supplies

I hope that helps a bit but it really can vary a lot so it would pay to check with your surgeon.

Can't help with anything other then when they say out of pocket cost that is exactly what they mean it is not recoverable from Medicare or private health most out of pocket expenses are that and much more mine was nearly $7000 with the hospital gap the Dr gaps that may seem a lot but when you see what the private health does cover it not so bad.  In the long term its cheap when you finally get all the weight off and i read something the other day and example costs for WW Jenny Craig Light and easy etc over a 12mth period is around $6000 to 7000 and it doesn't work long term unless you are prepared to stay on it for the rest of your life think what out of pocket expenses that means 20 30 or even 50 years.

Hi i am new to this site and i just got my letter in the mail saying i have an appointment with him in June this year :) it says that it is a $3000 out of pock expense (does HBF cover any of this) the other things i am wanting to know if any1 can help is if hbf health cover, covers hospital fees like private room, diatition fees and physio and any other fees that may come with it like anaesthetic services the person who puts u to sleep haha wanting to know roughly total of it all together so i know how much to save up for.  i am having my app with Dr Werapitiya in Bunbury . this would be a great help. Hayley xx