1:30min
Optometrist Simon Hanna recording a podcast
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By Ashleigh McMillan
Journalist
The latest in Optometry Australia’s series of Medicare podcasts gives advice about private billing and the impact of changing billing practices.
The episode Billing, Recalls and Optical Prescriptions provides information about making the change to private billing and is hosted by Simon Hanna, Optometry Australia’s national clinical policy advisor.
Mr Hanna covers how to structure your practice in the transition to moving to private billing, how to explain the change to staff and patients, and how to set up reminders to recall patients for their future eye examinations.
Since the removal of the Medicare fee cap and the introduction of changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule in 2015, practice owners have been gradually switching from bulk-billing to private billing.
More than 93 per cent of optometric services provided under Medicare are still bulk-billed each year.
Episodes of Optometry Australia Medicare podcasts can be accessed on the organisation’s website.