Calvary Wakefield Hospital

Admission Pack

Calvary Wakefield Hospital provides admission packs for both day and overnight patients. In most cases you will be provided with one of these by your surgeon prior to your admission. Please take time to read the pack, complete the admission forms and return them to the hospital at least five (5) working days before your admission. If you are admitted to the hospital via the Wakefield Emergency Centre you will be given an admission pack. Please read the pack, complete the admission forms and return them to hospital staff prior to hospital admission.

The admission packs contain the following important information:

• Forms you need to complete in order to provide us with the information we need to finalise your booking and let us know about any special care you may require
• Information on how to prepare for your stay
• Information about your hospital bill and how you can pay your account
• Information on how we protect your privacy
• Information on your rights and responsibilities whilst in hospital
• General information about the hospital to assist you whilst you are with us

Account Fees and Payments
Depending on the circumstances of your admission, you may have some out of pocket expenses to pay for your hospital, prosthetic or medical gaps. We suggest that you ask your health fund and your specialist about all the costs that you may be required to pay prior to your elective admission.

There may be circumstances where it will not be possible for you to be fully informed of fees and out of pocket expenses before a service is provided. In this case information about fees and out of pocket costs for hospital, medical and prosthetic gaps will be provided to you as soon as possible.

Costs of other health care providers

• Please contact your doctor for an estimate of his/her costs as these are separate to those of the hospital
• Other providers including anaesthetists, surgical assistants, pathology and x-ray are responsible for advising you of any out of pocket expenses

Prosthesis Costs and Consent

• Where a prosthesis (an implanted medical device eg. a hip replacement, pacemaker, pins, screws etc) is required there is a possible out of pocket expense. If you have not been informed of the out of pocket expense please discuss this with your doctor immediately

Health fund patients

• Please contact your health fund before admission to check your level of cover and clarify any excesses or co-payments you may have
• The hospital will also contact your health fund to confirm your cover, including any exclusions, pre-existing illness not covered, excesses or co-payments. These costs will be included in your estimate of expenses
• Excesses and co-payments are payable prior to or on admission

Uninsured patients and overseas insurers

• An estimate of the expenses for your hospital stay can be obtained by contacting billing staff on (08) 8405 3331
• Uninsured patients and those with overseas insurance are required to pay the total estimated cost of their hospital stay prior to admission
• Any shortfall in the estimate and other charges will be payable prior to or on discharge
• Over-payments will be refunded as soon as possible after discharge
• Whilst every effort will be made to provide an accurate estimate of expenses additional costs are sometimes incurred. This may be due to:
  • Variations in proposed treatment, procedure, prosthesis, or length of stay
  • Sundry charges eg. discharge pharmacy, take home items
• You will need to sign a copy of the estimate of expenses to acknowledge that you have received and understand the estimate and that you agree to pay for any unforeseen charges
• You will receive a detailed account for reimbursement from your overseas insurer

Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) patients

• If you are a gold card holder and require an overnight dental procedure or a cosmetic procedure your doctor must seek authorisation from DVA prior to admission
• If you are a White card holder your doctor must seek authorisation from DVA for any admission

WorkCover, Third party and Public Liability Patients

• A letter of approval from the relevant insurer must be provided with the Patient Registration Details form prior to admission for WorkCover, Third Party and Public Liability claimants.

Account payments

• Accounts can be paid by credit card (Visa, Mastercard), cash or EFTPOS.
• Payments by Visa and Mastercard can be made over the phone prior to admission.

If responsibility for payment of the claim is not accepted by your health insurer, Department of Veterans’ Affairs/Defence or other insurer (Work Cover, Third Party and Public Liability) then you or the person nominated as responsible for the account on the Patient Registration Details form are responsible for payment of the entire account.