Appointment guide

What to expect on the day of your appointment

Once your booking is confirmed, you will be expecting an encrypted video link sent to your email address and also sent via SMS to your mobile device.

Pre Appointment

Telecare works on all modern devices with a camera, microphone and speakers. Laptops, desktops, smartphones and tablets are all suitable.

Device Requirements

Please ensure that your device is compliant with the minimum technical requirements. Find out what those requirements are here

On the day

Join your appointment 15 minutes early

Technical issues can happen to the best of us. To ensure your device and internet connection are running smoothly on the day, join 15 minutes before your appointment start time to troubleshoot any last-minute glitches.

Close Apps and Streaming Services

During your session, streaming services like Netflix, Stan, or online gaming may decrease the quality of your session and slow down your internet speed. To prevent this, please close these services for the duration of your session.

Be in Quiet and Well-lit Space

To avoid any outside disturbances during the consultation, please call from a private and quiet space.

For video consultations, ensure your room is well-lit, ideally with natural lighting behind your device.

You may also want to use a second screen, or a notepad to take and share notes throughout your consultation.

positioning

In video telehealth, positioning refers to the placement of the camera. Patients should be positioned so that they are centred in the frame, with the camera at their eye level. If using a built-in laptop camera, the laptop may need to be raised to achieve the correct height. The camera should be approximately arm's length away from the practitioner for optimal positioning. For tech support you can always contact us.

Gathering Necessary Information:

Preparing the relevant information ahead of time will help make your telehealth appointment more efficient and productive. Consider the following tips:

Medications and medical history: Create a list of current medications including dosages, and any relevant medical history. This information will assist your healthcare provider in understanding your health status.

Symptoms and concerns: Jot down any specific symptoms or concerns you want to discuss during the appointment. Having a clear outline will help you remember important points and ensure nothing is overlooked.

Previous reports and test results: If you have any recent medical reports, lab results, or imaging studies, have them readily available on your device for reference during the appointment.

Please be aware that if you are not adequately prepared for your telehealth appointment, it may compromise the quality of care you receive. Your healthcare provider may have difficulty understanding your concerns or may not have access to essential information needed for accurate diagnosis or treatment. In some cases, if the appointment cannot proceed due to lack of preparation or a highly distracting environment, a cancellation fee may be charged.

By following these steps, you can optimize your telehealth experience and make the most of your appointment with Telecare. Our goal is to provide you with convenient and high-quality healthcare, right from the comfort of your own home. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our support team.

We look forward to seeing you in our virtual clinic!

Contact Us

Low cost specialist healthcare

Telecare aims to deliver high-quality medical care, with lower gap fees. The following answers may guide you with billings and payments for your appointment with the Telecare consultant specialists.

Is the appointment covered by Medicare? How much does Medicare pay?

Most Telecare specialist consultations are Medicare rebate-able and so you may only have to pay the gap fee.

Will I have to pay any out-of-pocket costs? If yes, how much?

Out-of-pocket costs vary from specialty to specialty and will be discussed prior to booking.

For psychiatry appointments

Patients may be eligible for bulk-billed telehealth psychiatry appointments if they live in regional and rural areas at least 15 km by road from a psychiatrist, or are from Indigenous healthcare centres/community-controlled health services.

Specialties in high demand such as behavioural and developmental psychiatry, ADHD/ASD assessments may incur higher out-of-pocket fees.

For all other specialist allied health appointments

For most consultations, out-of-pocket fees are quite nominal and typically range from $50 to $100.

In limited circumstances, or at the request of the referring GP, the out-of-pocket charges may be reduced further, or even waived (completely bulk-billed appointments) especially for residents of aged care facilities and indigenous communities.

For psychology, chronic disease management, dietetics or diabetes education, please also send a copy of the patient's Health Care Plan.

Will Telecare give me a written estimate of costs?

Yes. After we receive your referral, we communicate with you our estimated total fee, an estimated refund from Medicare (provided you are Medicare eligible) and your maximum ‘out-of-pocket’ cost.

Why can’t you always provide me with the exact fee?

There are a few factors that can contribute to the inability to provide an exact fee for our services. One possibility is that this may be your first consultation with us. In such cases, the fee is usually higher as it includes a comprehensive evaluation and any necessary tests. Another factor that may affect the fee is whether you fall into the category of safety net. If you have reached the safety net, you will be exempt from paying the medicare rebate with the fee. Additionally, an initial consult is typically more expensive than a review consult. To ensure that you are prepared for any potential costs, we quote you with the highest possible cost, so you can budget accordingly.

How and when will I be charged?

Once you have agreed to a suitable date for the appointment, we will charge you upfront: Medicare rebatable plus the gap fee. After the appointment, we will bill Medicare directly, and upon a successful refund from Medicare, Medicare will return the rebate amount to your account.

Will there be other costs (e.g. pathology tests, imaging)?

Telecare does not provide quotes for additional tests such as imaging and pathology.

Who do I contact if I have additional questions?

Please feel free to ask us questions about fees over the phone before making a specialist appointment and get more details during your consultation. If you would like to find out more, call our support help desk on (03) 9052 4872 or email us at admin@telecare.com.au.

All booked?

read our appointment guide

Read through our appointment guide below

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how to book an appointment

1

step one

Obtain a referral letter from a referring practitioner (this is usually your GP). This is a crucial step in ensuring that you receive the right care for your specific needs and typically we can’t help until we receive your referral.

2

step two

Fill out our registration form and upload your referral document, along with any additional supporting documents. This will allow us to better understand your situation.

3

step three

We'll reach out to you within 2-3 business days to schedule your consultation at a time that works best for you. The typical wait time for an appointment is between one and three weeks.

Book Now

WHY TELECARE?

It's as simple as 4 reasons. Winning you back time, keeping money in your wallet, providing you with a greater number of choices, and keeping your information and transactions secure.

SAVE TIME

No more waiting rooms, long commutes, or long wait times to see a specialist. Our specialists aim to see you within one to three weeks

SAVE MONEY

Lower out-of-pocket fees for telehealth consultations, and competitive rates for aged care patients and pensioners.

MORE CHOICE

Telecare is one of Australia’s largest virtual care providers, encompassing more than 120 specialists from over 30 specialties.

SECURE

Telehealth appointments are via a secure, encrypted, browser-based link that you can share with your family, GP and other healthcare providers.

Booking form

Please use this form if you are unable to find the specialist you are looking for via our direct booking platform.Our specialist telehealth and clinical services are available through your local GP. Simply ask about Telecare at your next GP appointment, or get started with our patient referral form and we’ll contact your GP on your behalf.The majority of Telecare specialists charge a low out-of-pocket fee. These fees may vary based on clinical requirements, and we will discuss these details with you before booking your appointment.

Uniting referrals

Details

This form has been tailored to manage bookings from uniting branches across Victoria and Tasmania

Uniting Referral Form

Pricing breakdown

Who will be invoiced? Consultations can be funded by patients themselves or by Uniting. Where Uniting is paying they will be invoiced prior to the consult: where the patient is paying, they will be charged following the consultation

$700

Paediatricians

Fee Structure

x2 Consultations

Post consults, funding provided

Funding dependent on the issues complexity

ADOS assessments by child psychologists cost $2500

$612

general psychiatry | one-off assessment

Fee Structure

Initial consults further vary depending on referral issues

Consults related to ADHD diagnosis will cost $750

Consults related to ASD diagnosis will cost $750

Mixed assessments will cost $1500

common faqs

Please Refer here for more information on Autism & for more information on NDIS funding under early childhood programs.

Getting a Diangnosis

NDIS Requirements

how long are waiting periods

At Telecare we are committed to streamlining the patient experience with average waiting periods of 1-3 weeks.

How do i refer

The referral form below is simple to follow and should only take 2-3 minutes to complete.

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Who does the diagnosis

The assessment team may require a health professional (paediatrician, child and adolescent psychiatrist and/or psychologist) or a "multidisciplinary team" of healthcare professionals with allied health professional/s (e.g. Paediatrician and a Speech Pathologist, Psychologist, and/or Occupational therapist.

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A typical multidisciplinary team usually consist of a paediatrician (or a child and adolescent psychiatrist), a psychologist, and a speech therapist. However, other medical practitioners or allied health specialists may contribute their expertise as needed.

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In Instances where the signs of autism are evident, a sole healthcare provider may be capable of making a diagnosis.

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For children with ambiguous symptoms or those with coexisting conditions that complicate the diagnosis, a team-based approach is necessary where multiple specialists and allied health professionals appointments are involved to complete a diagnosis and report.

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Requirements Pre Appointment

Telecare works on all modern devices with a camera, microphone and speakers. Laptops, desktops, smartphones and tablets are all suitable.

Device Requirements

Windows PC i5 processor with 4GB of RAM, Windows 10 or later

Apple Mac i5 processor and 4GB of RAM MacOS 10.12 (Sierra) or later

Android tablet or smartphone Android 8 or later

Apple iPhone or iPad iOS 13 or later

Good Internet Connection of at least 25 Mbps for both upload and download speeds. A standard home Wi-Fi or a reliable NBN, 4G connection is generally fine. You can check your internet speed by using this link.

Have the latest browser installed

Your telehealth appointment will run through your web browser, so it’s also important to ensure your browser is up-to-date. Check your browser version here. Minimum browser requirements include:

Google Chrome Version 82+ (Windows, Android, MacOS)

Apple Safari Version 12+ (MacOS, iOS)

Firefox Version 75+ (Windows, Android, MacOS)

Microsoft Edge Version 82+ (Windows MacOS)

Microsoft Edge Version 44+

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