See also: Patient Claiming
Patient makes a part payment (gap payment) to the Practice and the claim is manually sent to Medicare Australia Patient Claiming.
Reimbursement: A Medicare cheque with the doctor as the payee is sent to the patient. The patient then forwards the cheque to the practice. If the cheque is not presented to the practice within 21 days, the practice should contact the patient initially. Depending on what has transpired, the patient should then either present the cheque to the practice or contact Medicare Australia to have the original cheque cancelled and a new cheque redrawn. The cheque will then be sent to the patient to be forwarded on to the practitioner.
There may be an alternative logic path; however this would differ for individual circumstances.
Patient makes a part payment (gap payment) to the practice and the claim is electronically sent to Medicare Australia Online Patient Claiming.
Reimbursement: A Medicare cheque with the doctor as the payee is sent to the patient. The patient then forwards the cheque to the practice. If the cheque is not presented to the practice within 21 days, the practice should contact the patient initially. Depending on what has transpired, the patient should then either present the cheque to the practice or contact Medicare Australia to have the original cheque cancelled and a new cheque redrawn. The cheque will then be sent to the patient to be forwarded on to the practitioner.
If after 90 days a cheque has still not been presented to the practice, Medicare Australia runs a search on cheques that have not been cashed. Medicare Australia will cancel non cashed cheques and credit the practitioners' account electronically.
Patient pays the invoice in full and the claim is sent electronically to Medicare Australia Patient Claiming
Reimbursement: After processing, the patient is electronically paid the claimable amount if they have first registered their details with Medicare Australia. Otherwise the patient will be reimbursed by Medicare cheque.
Notes:
o The default setting for Patient Claiming in Bluechip is reimbursement by cheque. The practice should leave this setting even if the patient has registered their details. Medicare Australia will override this setting on processing and reimburse electronically if applicable.
o Patients can only be reimbursed electronically if they have paid the invoice in full and have had their details registered with Medicare Australia.
o If a patient has only made a part payment, a cheque (payee practitioner) is sent via the patient. The patient forwards this to the practice.