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How Much Does It Cost?
The Cost List provides a current copy of the cost of various Hunter IVF services.
The column labelled "Full Fee" lists the full payment cost and the "Gap" column relates to the balance, once Medicare have reimbursed the rebate. If you are eligible for reimbursement through Medicare, you can choose to pay only the gap for your treatment.
Please note, if you are eligible for a Medicare rebate, you are also eligible for reimbursement under the safety net scheme, and as such the Gap column is not necessarily your final out-of-pocket payment.
As the safety net depends on all medical fees incurred during a calendar year, not just your Hunter IVF fees, it is not possible for us to precisely estimate how much you will receive from Medicare under the safety net. Once your gap payments have reached the threshold, Medicare will reimburse you a predertimined $ value depending on your treatment. The Safety Net Fact Sheet gives a brief overview of how the safety net works in relation to your treatment with Hunter IVF, while our 2010 Medicare Safety Net and IVF Treatment Flyer summarises the impact of changes to the Medicare Safety Net introduced on 1st January 2010.
To understand how the safety net works, visit the Medicare Australia website. To determine which threshold applies to you, and whether you have reached the safety net threshold or not, contact Medicare Australia.
Please contact reception if you have any questions.
Am I Eligible For Medicare?
If you are medically infertile, any eligible treatment with Hunter IVF will be covered by Medicare.
(Please note: not all Hunter IVF services are covered by Medicare. Administrative costs and tracking cycles, for example, are considered out-of-pocket, and will not be eligible for a rebate and will not contribute toward your safety net threshold. Most other cycles, eg IVF or artificial insemination, are covered. If you are in doubt as to whether your treatment is covered, please contact reception.)
If you are not medically infertile (for example, a single woman, or a woman in a same-sex relationship, with no pre-existing fertility conditions), your treatment with Hunter IVF will not be covered by Medicare.
Your treating clinician will discuss costs, and eligibility for Medicare, during your initial consultation.
The Account Timeline (When Is Payment Due?)
- Day One – you ring us on the first day of your period to let us know you'd like to begin a treatment cycle.
- The nursing staff will log you on for treatment, and the admin staff will generate an account prepayment. If you have not received your account prepayment shortly after beginning a cycle, please ask reception.
- The account agreement will detail the treatment cycle you will be undertaking, the fees associated, and the date payment is due. You can choose to pay either the gap or the full Hunter IVF fee.
- As a rough estimate, payment for your IVF cycle will be due on or before collection of FSH injections, and around day ten for all other cycles (where day one is the first day of your period).
- Payment Due Date – when you pay for your treatment cycle, the receptionist will issue you a prepayment receipt. You cannot take this receipt to Medicare. You will receive itemised receipts for Medicare once your treatment cycle has been completed (if you paid the full fee) or once Medicare have processed the rebate for your treatment cycle (if you paid the gap).
- Date of Transfer / Insemination
- If you have paid your account in full, then within two days of your transfer or insemination, Hunter IVF will issue you with a copy of the invoice and itemised receipt to take to Medicare. Medicare will then reimburse you the rebate, plus any monies owing to you under the safety net.
- If you have paid the gap, Hunter IVF will bill Medicare on your behalf. Medicare will process a rebate cheque in the name of your treating clinician. Currently this process can take up to six or eight weeks. When you receive this cheque, drop it into Hunter IVF and we will issue you with a copy of the invoice and itemised receipts to take to Medicare. Medicare will then reimburse you any monies owing to you under the safety net.
- If you have undertaken an IVF cycle, and choose to have any excess embryos frozen, at this stage Hunter IVF will send you an invoice for the freezing of your embryos. The cost of freezing includes the first six months storage. After six months, we will send an invoice for continuing storage of your embryos. We will continue sending a bi-annual account for the storage of your embryos unless and until you advise us in writing that you wish to discontinue storage.
Should I Pay The Full Fee Or The Gap?
When undertaking treatment with Hunter IVF, there are two payment options available to you.
- Pay the Hunter IVF fee in full: This requires you to pay the Hunter IVF fee in full by the nominated date. Alternatively you may pay the gap by the nominated date, and pay the remainder at any time up to the day before your transfer / insemination. At the end of your cycle, we will finalise your account and send you a copy of the invoice and itemised receipt which you can take directly to Medicare. Medicare will then reimburse you the rebate and any monies owed to you under the safety net. If you supply Medicare with your banking details, within 3-5 days the money owing to you will be deposited directly into your bank account.
- Pay the prepayment only: This prepayment reflects the standard gap amount for the treatment and is required to be paid in full by the nominated date. At the end of your cycle an invoice will be sent to Medicare on your behalf. Medicare will process the account and send you a cheque for the rebate made out to your treating doctor. This process normally takes between six – eight weeks. Once we have received this cheque we will send you an itemised receipt which you can take to Medicare and claim any monies owed to you under the safety net.
Whichever option you choose, you will end up with the same out-of-pocket payment. Paying the Hunter IVF fee in full allows you to claim a rebate faster.
Other costs, such as medications or private hospital and anaesthetists fees are not included in this prepayment. It is recommended that you contact your health fund (if you are privately insured) and Newcastle Private Hospital for their costs if hospital admission is required as part of your treatment.
How Long Before I Can Claim My Rebate?
The length of time before you can claim your rebate from Medicare will depend on if you choose to pay the Hunter IVF fee in full, or to pay the gap.
If you paid in full, and your cycle is not cancelled, your receipts will be available within two/three days of your embryo transfer or insemination.
If you paid the gap, and your cycle is not cancelled, we will invoice Medicare on your behalf once your cycle is complete. Medicare will take six to eight weeks to process a cheque in the name of your treating clinician. Once we have this cheque, we can issue you itemised receipts which allow you to claim your rebate from Medicare. In total, this process will take ten to twelve weeks from the date of payment for an IVF cycle.
My Cycle Was Cancelled — What Happens To My Prepayment?
If your cycle is cancelled outright and you are covered by Medicare, Hunter IVF will issue an invoice and allocate funds for payment. Please refer to the cost sheet and/or administration for cancelled cycle fees. Your prepayment will remain credited to your account until your next cycle, or if you would prefer we can issue a refund.
If your cycle is cancelled and you are not covered by Medicare, Hunter IVF will deduct a small out-of-pocket to cover the costs of tracking your cycle prior to cancellation; the remainder of your prepayment will remain credited to your account until your next cycle.
Can I Pay My Account Via Direct Debit?
Yes, you can pay any fees owing to Hunter IVF by depositing the funds directly into our bank account.
Download Paying By Direct Debit. This form contains our banking details so you can transfer the funds. Once you have transferred the funds, complete the notification slip on the bottom of this form and forward it to Hunter IVF. To ensure correct identification of payments in our bank account please use your surname as a reference.
You must notify us of your payment in writing, so we may credit the funds to your account.
I Want to Discontinue Storage of my Frozen Sperm / Donor Sperm / Embryos
If you wish to discontinue storage of your frozen sperm or embryos, you need to notify us in writing.
Legally, we cannot dispose of your frozen sample, or donate your frozen sample to research, or release your frozen sample to another clinic, without written notification.
Download the appropriate form, and mail it to:
PO Box 417
New Lambton NSW 2305
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