Referrals to Specialists

The back dating of referrals is illegal and subject to a substantial fine for the Doctor who backdates a referral. It is a Medicare requirement that referrals can only be written during the course of a consultation. Substantial penalties apply for any General Practitioner convicted of writing referrals outside of a consultation. You are able to consult a specialist without a referral, however, you will be unable to claim a full rebate from Medicare.

It is important to note that visiting a specialist will often incur out of pocket charges. Costs associated with visiting specialists vary. We recommend you enquire about out of pocket charges when you make appointments with specialist’s rooms.