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:
- Your referring practitioner decides your condition needs to be reviewed, and
- You are seen by the dermatologist after the expiry of the last referral, and
- 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.