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A casual contact is someone who has been near a person with infectious COVID-19 but who is at lower risk of getting COVID-19 than a close contact.

Do I need to self-isolate and get tested?

Yes. Everyone who is a casual contact must get a test and isolate until they get a negative result.

Please follow the advice you get from NSW Health.

If you were at the casual contact place less than 4 days ago:

• get a COVID-19 test at your closest testing location, and isolate
• get another COVID-19 test on day 5 after you were at the casual contact place
• you can stop isolating when you get a negative result from your first test – but please:
• wear a mask when in the same room as any other person
• do not leave your home except if this is necessary, or to exercise outdoors
• go to work only if this is essential for your workplace.
• monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested again at any time if you develop any symptoms. You will need to isolate until you receive a negative test result.

If you were at the casual contact place 4 or more days ago:

• get a COVID-19 test at your closest testing location, and isolate
• stay in isolation until you receive a negative test result
• monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested again at any time if you develop any symptoms. You will need to isolate until you receive a negative test result.

Please note: You must not leave your home to get a COVID-19 vaccination when you are isolating. Once you have received a negative result, you can attend a vaccination centre.

What does isolation mean?

Isolation means you must stay at your home or accommodation, and stay apart from other people at all times. You cannot leave your home or accommodation, unless for medical care (including a COVID-19 test), or in an emergency. You must not allow other people into your home or accommodation unless they usually live there, or they are entering for medical or emergency purposes.

Isolation is different from stay-at-home directions. When you isolate, you are not allowed to leave the house for outdoor exercise, shopping, work or education. Other members of your household do not need to isolate during this period.

Please read the NSW Health Self-Isolation Guideline for further information.

What do I do if I develop symptoms?

If you develop symptoms you should get tested immediately. You must not travel by public transport, taxis or ride-share. Wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times, and tell staff immediately that you are a casual contact. In the rare occurrence if you can’t get to a testing location you can call your local Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055 and they will advise you on how to get a test.

If you become severely unwell and it is a medical emergency, you should phone Triple Zero (000). Tell the ambulance staff that you are a contact of someone with COVID-19.

What if I’m identified as a casual contact and I’m away from home?

If you are away from home when you find out you are a casual contact, you must immediately get tested and travel directly to your accommodation to isolate.

If you can, you should spend your isolation period where you are staying now. This may be a hotel, motel or other form of accommodation, as long as you can safely stay there and separate from all other people while you wait for your test result.

If you are currently staying in temporary accommodation that ends before you get your test result, or you have been asked to leave your accommodation by the owner or manager, NSW Health will help you. In exceptional circumstances, you may be allowed to travel home to finish your isolation period. Please call your local Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055 for help in this situation.

What if I’ve been to a venue where there has been a COVID-19 case but I haven’t been contacted?

If you know you have been to a venue where a COVID-19 case has been reported, but have not been contacted by NSW Health, please check the latest COVID-19 case locations and follow the advice for that place.

Further information

Visit NSW Government website https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19 for more information or refer to the attached NSW Health Casual Contact Fact Sheet about COVID-19 casual contacts.

Help reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection by staying 1.5 metres away from other people where possible and avoiding close contact with people you do not live with. 

What physical or social distancing means

Physical or social distancing means reducing the close physical contact we have with people and staying 1.5 metres away from people we don't live with. 

People living in the same household do not need to be 1.5 metres from each other.

Premises should consider how they can allow customers or groups of customers to practice physical distancing in their COVID-19 Safety Plans.

Face masks

NSW Health strongly recommends that you carry a clean face mask with you and wear it if you are unable to maintain 1.5 metres of physical distance from others.

Learn more about when to wear a face mask.

No, but without a referral you may be unable to claim a rebate on your initial and subsequent consultation fees.

Medicare Australia dictate that a rebate is only available for certain medical services when a referral is obtained prior to the service or consultation.

International travellers and students may also require a referral to claim a rebate for any medical service or consultation provided by their dermatologist.

A referral from your doctor will provide your dermatologist a detailed medical reason for the investigation, opinion, treatment or management of your condition or problem. Your referral may also include:

• Personal and contact information.
• Medical history, including past and current conditions.
• Medication and allergy history.
• Diagnostic test results.

Your dermatologist will contact your referring doctor and keep them updated with your diagnosis, ongoing treatments and medication. 

Your dermatologist requires at least 24 hours' notice if you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment.

If you do not provide sufficient notice, a $75 non-attendance fee may be charged to your account and a prepayment required for your next appointment.

Your notice can be relayed to our clinic by one of the following means, at least 24 hours' before your appointment:

• Sending an email to info@gsderm.com.au.
• Replying N or NO to our courtesy SMS reminder message.
• Calling us on (02) 9226 9600 and leaving a voicemail message.

If you are unable to attend your appointment due to sudden onset illness, a copy of your medical certificate or other evidence may be required to waive any non-attendance fee.

No, you do not need to be vaccinated to see a dermatologist.

Patients are not required to be vaccinated (single/double dose) to consult with, or receive treatment from, a dermatologist. Patients will, however, be required to wear a face mask and maintain physical distancing. 

Refer to our COVID-19 face mask statement and physical distancing guide for more information.

Yes, medical consultations and procedures will continue to be performed during a Greater Sydney stay-at-home order.

Medical consultations and procedures will continue as normal, unless otherwise advised by the NSW Government or NSW Health. Cosmetic procedures, however, will be suspended while Greater Sydney is under a stay-at-home order from the NSW Government.

Non-essential cosmetic procedures will be suspended while Greater Sydney stay-at-home orders are in effect. 

While NSW Government stay-at-home orders apply to Greater Sydney, our clinic will be temporarily suspending all non-essential cosmetic procedures, including anti-wrinkle injections, cosmetic fillers and IPL laser therapies.

Patients who have an existing treatment plan schedule, that cannot be reasonably postponed, will be able to continue their treatment.

Yes, patients are required to wear a face mask when attending their appointment.

Face masks help reduce the risk of infection when vaccinated and unvaccinated patients may be present within our clinic.

Please refer to our COVID-19 face mask statement for more information.

As per New South Wales and Australian government legislation, patients have rights of access to health information held about them by this medical practice.

A patient request to access health information may be as simple as requesting a copy of their latest pathology results from their dermatologist during the course of a standard medical consultation.

Applying for a medical record copy.

An applicant must complete the Medical Record Access form (OMR2) online, which will collect applicant information, patient information and supporting request documents.

Once the Medical Record Access form (OMR2) has been completed, the information will be automatically sent to our clinic for processing and a member of our administration staff will contact the applicant to confirm the request and collect any fees chargeable. 

The medical record access form can be found on the following page: OMR2 - Medical Record Access form

Who can request access to a medical record?

An applicant can request access to their own health information, or to another individual’s health information if they present evidence of written consent from that individual.

An applicant can also request access to information about an individual who is incapable of making the request, as their authorised representative. An applicant may have parental responsibility or guardianship over children or other individuals for whom they hold power of attorney.

Our clinic must ensure that the applicant requesting access to health information has the right to do so. We may request proof of an applicant’s identity and, where relevant, evidence of parental authority, guardianship and power of attorney.

Parent's accessing their child's records.

In most cases a parent applicant who holds parental responsibility or guardianship may be able to access their child’s records.

We may ask the parent or guardian applicant to provide evidence of that arrangement before providing access.

However, young patients between the ages of 14-16 may seek treatment without the knowledge of a parent or guardian, subject to the dermatologist's assessment of the patient's capacity to understand the consequences of any proposed treatment.

A similar assessment is made by the dermatologist in determining whether information can be disclosed to parents or guardians in situations where a young patient has the capacity to make independent decisions about their health care.

Timeframe to provide access.

The Health Records and Information Privacy Act (2002) requires that a response to a request for access must be given within 45 calendar days. This response must either be the granting of access to the requested information or a refusal to grant this access; any other communication about the request is not a response under the terms of the Act. If a response is not given within 45 calendar days it will be treated as if the request has been refused.

All medical record access requests are, however, processed as quickly as possible.

Appropriate refusal of access.

An applicant will be sent a response even when it is appropriate not to grant access. The response would include a clear explanation of why access can’t be granted, with reference to the specific reason as contained in the HRIP Act (2002).

It may be that access can be provided for parts of the information requested. In these cases, we will explain clearly why only partial access has been provided.

When will access not be granted?

There are some situations where access may not be granted. The most common situations are:

• Providing access would pose a serious threat to the patient's health, or the health of others;
• Providing access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others;
• The information requested relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between the patient and the provider;
• Providing access is unlawful;
• Denying access is required or authorised by or under law;
• The request has been made unsuccessfully on at least one previous occasion and there are no reasonable grounds for making the request again;
• There have been repeated, unreasonable requests for information to which access has already been given.
  Law enforcement agencies or court orders may also prevent you from providing access.

Requests from insurers and third parties.

Consent of the patient must be obtained before releasing any information to a third party, including insurers or Insurance and Care NSW (iCare). Any information disclosed must be consistent with the consent provided.

What fees are charged?

Under the HRIP Act (2002), access should be provided without excessive expense. Fees can be charged to cover the cost of providing access to a medical record, such as administration, scanning and printing.

A copy fee of $10.00 will be charged for each copy of a record generated, either paper or digital.

The copy fee will be waived under the following circumstances:

• The record access request is for a medical record transfer, by secure download or fax only, to a verified medical facility to ensure continuing patient care; or
• The record delivery request is for an in-person collection of a printed medical record copy from Green Square Dermatology by the applicant or the patient.

An additional $10.00 fee will be charged to post a printed copy of the medical record by registered post.

For record access other than medical record transfer or patient review, the applicant will be notified of any additional processing fees that may apply.

A patient may incur a charge, in additional to the dermatologist's fees, by a pathology service provider for the testing and analysis of tissue, blood and swab samples collected.  

The analysis of tissue, blood and swab samples help a dermatologist find evidence of disease, diagnose illnesses, predict recovery times, or help monitor a condition or medication.

Third-party pathology service costs.

Pathology service providers charge an additional, independent fee for the testing and analysis of patient pathology samples. The pathology service provider's fees are independent of the dermatologist's fee for performing a patient biopsy or excision.

The additional fee charged by pathology service providers and vary and range from $200 up to $2000, depending on the complexity of testing and analysis involved.

Patients may be contacted and billed directly by the pathology service provider. If the patient is covered by Medicare Australia or a private health insurance provider, then the pathology service provider may bill these insurance entities directly on behalf of the patient.

Costs covered under Medicare Australia or private health insurance.

A dermatologist will typically request that the pathology provider bulk-bill services for patients who are registered with Medicare Australia.

Each pathology service provider sets their own fees and may not bulk-bill some services, depending on the complexity of the testing and analysis involved.

Medicare does not cover the costs of tests done for cosmetic surgery, insurance testing, or several genetic tests. There are also limits on the number of times that a patient can receive a Medicare rebate for some tests. Currently, there are 5,700 diagnostic services paid for by Medicare, listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).

Patients that require a many tests may be eligible for the Medicare Safety Net. This means that a patient can get a higher rebate from Medicare for diagnostic tests and other medical services to reduce any out-of-pocket expenses incurred.

Private health insurance may pay for diagnostic tests done while a patient is in hospital, but generally will not cover diagnostic tests that are done outside a hospital and that are listed on the MBS. Patients should check with their insurance provider to determine their level of coverage.

Determining additional third-party pathology costs.

Patients can contact the pathology provider directly to discuss the costs associated with the pathology test specific to their situation. The pathology provider may request information about a patient's Medicare enrollment or private health insurance to determine costs.

Preferred pathology service provider.

The preferred pathology provider used by Green Square Dermatology is Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology.

Patients are entitled to choose a different pathology provider from the one recommended by their dermatologist, so long as the pathology provider can perform the test they require.

A patient who wish to use another pathology provider must let their dermatologist dermatologist know prior to any tissue, blood or swab sample being taken.

Our medical practice may vary policies from time to time and without notice. A patient may request information about policy changes or view them on our website. gsdermatology.com.au/policy

Fees for consultations, surgical procedures and treatments are determined by the dermatologist you choose to see.

All fees are subject to change and variation, dependent on the complexity of treatment, complications encountered or at the discretion of the dermatologist.

During your consultation you may ask your dermatologist for a financial estimate detailing the cost of any surgical procedure or treatment, before it is performed. 

As of 7th February 2022, our consultation fees during a single course of treatment are:

• $260.00 - Initial consultation in a single course of treatment.
• $170.00 - Subsequent consultation in a single course of treatment.

The most common medical services performed during a single course of treatment are:

• Diagnostic biopsy (+$150)
• Solar keratosis cryotherapy (+$150)
• Hydrocortisone injections (+$130)
• Axillary hyperhidrosis injections (+$650)

If you are enrolled with Medicare Australia, you may also be entitled to a rebate for medical services provided by your dermatologist. 

Refer to the following articles for more information :

• Can I claim a Medicare rebate on medical services?
• Informed financial consent statement,
• Fee concession statement,
• Pathology service cost statement,
• Financial estimate statement

Yes, but some restrictions apply. Medicare rebates are available for all our medical services listed under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).

To be eligible to claim a Medicare rebate on medical and surgical services you must:

1. Be enrolled in Medicare; and
2. Have a current Medicare card.

Cosmetic services, such as anti-wrinkle and dermal injectables, are not covered by Medicare.

You may also claim a rebate on your consultations with the dermatologist, if you have a valid referral for specialist treatment from your general practitioner (GP) or another specialist.

As of 1 July 2021, the current Medicare rebate, during an single course of treatment, is $76.80 for an initial attendance or $38.60 for a subsequent attendance. Rebates for other medical and surgical services vary, but can be found on the Department of Health MBS website.

This is the investigation, opinion, treatment or management of a single condition or problem.

Your referral will cover a single course of treatment for the referred condition.

A single course of treatment is an initial consultation by the dermatologist. The single course of treatment includes subsequent consultations for the continuing management of your condition, until your are referred back to the referring practitioner.

A new referral doesn’t always mean a new course of treatment. If your new referral is for the continuing management of a condition, the dermatologist will bill a subsequent consultation. However, an initial consultation will be billed again if:

1. Your referring practitioner decides your condition needs to be reviewed, and
2. You are seen by the dermatologist after the expiry of the last referral, and
3. You were last seen by the dermatologist more than 9 months earlier.

If you have a new or unrelated condition then the dermatologist can start a new course of treatment, which may require a new referral or additional cost.

Additional resources

• Medicare - Referring and requesting Medicare services 

Let us know what’s on your mind and how we can help you.

Whether it’s a question about our clinic and services or just to make an appointment to see a dermatologist, our staff are here to help you.