Question 1

What can I book a telehealth appointment for?

Accepted Answer

Telehealth allows a GP to provide care to you without an in-person consultation. Services GPs can provide through telehealth include, but are not limited to:

Medical advice relating to common ailments (including but not limited to allergies, asthma, bladder infections, bronchitis, cellulitis, cold & flu, diarrhea, infections, respiratory infections, sinusitis, sore throat, UTIs and vomiting)
Medical advice relating to general health concerns
Prescriptions (new or repeat)
Medical certificates
Pathology, radiology or specialist referrals
Routine chronic disease check ups

Question 2

Does Medicare cover online doctor appointments?

Accepted Answer

There may be specific instances in which you can claim a Medicare or other rebate for telehealth services, but these are defined by Government, and change from time to time. Your eligibility for this will be determined at the time of your appointment and is at the doctors discretion. For telehealth only providers, Medicare rebates are generally not available. For local GPs offering telehealth services, Medicare rebates are generally limited to where you have an existing relationship as defined by:

where you are registered in MyMedicare and the service is provided by your registered practice
when you have previously had a face-to-face appointment with the GP performing the service or another GP at the same practice in the last 12 months
where a practice is a participant in the Approved Medical Deputising Service program, and the Approved Medical Deputising Service provider employing the medical practitioner has a formal agreement with a general practice that has provided at least one face-to-face service to the patient in the 12 months preceding the telehealth attendance.

Under legislation, the existing relationship requirement does not apply in some limited situations which can be found on the Medicare Benefits Schedule website.

Question 3

What medications can't the doctor prescribe?

Accepted Answer

No Controlled Drugs (also referred to as S8 (Schedule 8) medications such as narcotics) or other drugs of addiction (such as Valium) will be prescribed by the Telehealth service. Schedule 4 drugs which have the potential to cause harm or be misused such as benzodiazepines, duromine, lyrica, zolpidem, zopiclone, quetiapine and high strength codeine will also not be prescribed. These medications require close monitoring by your regular doctor. Refusal of prescription requests for these types of medications will not result in a refund of Telehealth consult.

Question 4

What do I need to enable a video consult?

Accepted Answer

For a video consult any smartphone or computer with a camera, speaker, and microphone will work. Your telehealth video consult will open in a web browser so there’s no need to download any additional software.

Question 5

How will I receive my medical certificate?

Accepted Answer

If you require a medical certificate it will be sent to you directly via email or SMS as a PDF.

Question 6

What happens if the doctor is running late?

Accepted Answer

If your doctor is running late the reception staff will call to let you know.

Question 7

What if I miss the doctor’s video call?

Accepted Answer

For an on-demand appointment, you should join the video link as soon as you receive it. If you haven't joined by the time the doctor is ready, they will try to call you. Don't worry if you miss the call. The support team will contact you to fix any issues and reconnect you with the doctor. If you have any questions about your appointment, you can always reach out to the support team for help.

Question 8

What services do online doctors offer?

Accepted Answer

Online doctors offer a range of services to help with your health needs:

Medical advice for various health concerns
Digital prescriptions sent via SMS
Online medical certificates for work or school (up to 7 days)
Referrals to specialists like paediatricians or cardiologists
Referrals for tests such as blood work or X-rays

All of these services are available from the comfort of your home!

Question 9

What happens after my online doctor appointment?

Accepted Answer

If needed, the doctor may send you a digital prescription, provide an online medical certificate, or refer you to a specialist. They might also recommend tests if further investigation is necessary.

Question 10

What's the cancellation policy for telehealth appointments?

Accepted Answer

Telehealth consultations require a lot of coordination, so please try to keep your appointment.

If you need to cancel, please let the provider know immediately because rescheduling telehealth consultations can be more complicated than rescheduling a face-to-face appointment.

Please note that, if cancelling your scheduled appointment with 24-7Medcare within 60 minutes of the scheduled time, you may still be charged the full fee.

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