Fees
North Richmond Community Health (NRCH) has been proudly providing free services to our community for over 50 years. So we can continue to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare to everyone in our community, we are introducing co-payments to some clients for Medical, Child and Youth Psychology, and Allied Health appointments.
GP appointments will be fully bulk billed for Medicare Card holders. This means that for most GP appointments there will be no cost. However, some fees may be charged for procedures which are not covered by Medicare. Co-payments will apply to Paediatrician, Psychology and Allied Health appointments, except in some cases where clients have either Support at Home funding or NDIS funding. See the GP appointment section below for more details.
Most of our clients will still receive free services as part of NRCH’s priority access group.
You are a part of our priority access group if you are:
-
- a Health Care Card holder
- a Commonwealth Concession Card holder
- a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Health Card holder
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- a refugee or asylum seeker
- experiencing homelessness.
If you are having trouble paying, please talk to our intake staff or clinical teams.
How will I know my co-payment amount?
We use guidelines from the Department of Health, Victoria to calculate your co-payment. Using these guidelines, we will classify your household income as either low, medium or high. This will tell us how much you need to pay for your appointment. If you are a part of our priority access group your fees will be less or free.
Fees for Medical appointments
North Richmond Community Health is a 100% bulk billing clinic. However some fees may apply for items that are not covered by Medicare.
Paediatrician appointments
| Consultation type | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard initial Paediatric consult | |||
| Review Paediatric consult | |||
| Long initial Paediatric consult | |||
| Complex Paediatric consult | |||
| Late cancellation (less than 24 hours) / Did not attend fee (applies to everyone, regardless of bulk billing eligibility) |
*Rebate subject to change as per the Medicare Benefits Schedule
Fees for Psychology services
Some clients will need to pay a co-payment to cover part of the cost for their Psychology sessions. If you are a part of our priority access group your fees will be less or free, depending on your referral pathway.
| Service | Referral Pathway | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual session (up to 50 minutes) in-person or telehealth | GP or Psychiatrist has referred you WITH a current Mental Health Treatment Plan or Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plan | ||||
| GP or Psychiatrist has referred you WITHOUT a current Mental Health Treatment Plan or Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plan | |||||
| Self-referred (Private*/NDIS) | |||||
| *may be eligible for private health insurance claim | |||||
Fees for Allied Health appointments
From Tuesday 1 July 2025, some clients will need to pay part of the cost for their Allied Health appointments. This is called ‘co-payment.’ Co-payments will apply to all types of Allied Health appointments, except when using Home Care Package or NDIS funding.
| Allied Health Service | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Education | $50 (30mins) |
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| Dietetics | $50 (30mins) |
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| Physiotherapy | $50 (30mins) |
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| Podiatry | $50 (30mins) |
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| Paediatric Occupational Therapy (OT) | $50 (30mins) |
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| Speech Pathology | $50 (30mins) |
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| Adult Occupational Therapy (OT) Charged as a single co-payment which includes home visit(s) and on average 10-20 hours of clinical time. | ||||
| Group Session - Small Group (8 or less participants) Exercise groups will be charged per term (8 classes) | ||||
| Group Session - Large Group (more than 8 participants) Exercise groups will be charged per term (8 classes) |
To learn more about how government funding helps support Allied Health services, please visit this webpage.
Frequently asked questions:
Why is NRCH charging a co-payment fee?
NRCH is a not-for-profit community health service. Co-payment fees help us cover the rising cost between government funding and the actual costs of providing our services to the community.
We already charge out-of-pocket fees for dental and medical services, and now we are doing the same for remaining services to make sure we can continue to provide high-quality care. We have slowly made this change to make sure our clients have as much notice as possible.
Who does not need to pay a co-payment?
If you are part of NRCH’s priority access group, you will continue to receive free Medical and Allied Health services. This means you do not need to make co-payments.
You are a part of our priority access group if you are:
-
- a Health Care Card holder
- a Commonwealth Concession Card holder
- a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Health Card holder
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- a refugee or asylum seeker
- experiencing homelessness.
What if I don't have a health care card or concession card and can’t afford the co-payment?
Please talk to our Reception or intake team about this when you arrive or are completing your registration. You can also talk to your doctor or clinician if your circumstances change.
If you would like help applying for a health care card, our staff can assist you.
What if my health care card has expired or I’ve lost it?
Talk to our Reception or intake team, who can help you apply for a new health care card.
You can also make an appointment with Services Australia at NRCH or at the Hive Shopping Centre on Victoria Street (just a 5-minute walk away).
How do I pay for my appointment?
If your appointment is on-site at NRCH, you will need to pay at the reception desk before your appointment.
You can pay for all appointments via EFTPOS using your debit or credit card. We do not encourage cash payment, but we can make it available if you need.
If your appointment is off-site or home-based, we will send you an invoice via mail or email. We will send your receipt using the same method once you have paid.
How will co-payments for groups work?
If you regularly attend an exercise group, we will enrol you for a full term (8 weeks). We will send you the invoice for the current term after the first 4 weeks. You can pay this at reception or via electronic funds transfer (EFT). We can only enrol you for other groups once you have paid for the current term.
If you only attend groups sometimes, or for less than a full term, you will need to pay at reception after each session.
What happens if I miss my appointment or don’t cancel in time?
If you miss your appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice, the following fees will apply:
- Medical services: $40 fee
- Allied Health services: Full appointment fee.