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Frequently asked questions about Finance

How much does weight loss surgery cost?

Depending on your personal situation, this question means different things to different people.  Some people are researching the Surgeon's fee, which will differ depending on the type of procedure.  If you are privately insured, with the Medicare support, your out of pocket cost will be approximately $4,500 for Dr Wylie's services.

If you are self funding the surgery or looking to access your Superannuation, you will be interested in the total cost.  An estimated overall total cost for uninsured patients is $18000 to $20000 (this includes the surgeon fee, surgeon assistant fee, anaesthetist, theatre, 2 nights hospital accommodation on ward, psychologist and dietitian). This does not include any additional investigations which may be required prior to surgery or incidental costs whilst in hospital.  You will be issued with an itemised invoice/receipt which will enable you to claim a portion of Dr Wylie's & your anaesthetist fee from Medicare. 

A detailed, personalised estimate is provided before booking surgery.

Disclaimer:  Our intention is to provide the most up to date information, but as hospitals and other specialists set their own fees, they may change without notice, so this information is a guide only.

What does Dr Wylie charge for an initial consultation? 

An initial consultation with Dr Wylie is $180 payable on the day and you will receive a Medicare rebate, which we will claim at the consult for you.

 

The consultation is usually around 1hr, with the involvement of our nurse Ruth (RN) obtaining your medical history, followed by a consultation with Dr Wylie. You will then be given contact details for any other specialists with whom you may require investigations prior to surgery.  Some patients require a gastroscopy, cardiac investigations or sleep study depending on their personal medical history.

Do I need to see a dietician and psychologist prior to surgery?

The short answer is yes. These professionals are essential members of the team caring for you. In addition to providing information and support critical to the success of surgery they also have an important role in monitoring your progress and watching for problems like weight regain.  

Am I covered by private health insurance?

It is advisable that you check with your private health fund if you are covered for the following possible bariatric surgery item numbers: 31575, 31572, 31578, 30390.

If you plan to claim Superannuation, here are some tips:

Please note:  this is information based on our experience supporting patients with the claims, not directly provided by Superannuation providers or the ATO.

 

For surgery being performed through release of superannuation, you will require two completed application forms and supporting documentation – one from your GP and one from Dr Wylie. These will need to be lodged firstly with the ATO and then your super fund. At your initial consultation we are able to issue you with this form to take to your GP. At the follow-up consultation once the specific surgery has been decided upon, we are able to provide the completed application form and supporting documentation from Dr Wylie. Once approved by the ATO, you will then lodge the ATO approval to your superannuation fund along with your ‘Early Release Of Super On Compassionate Grounds’ application including supporting documents as specified by your superannuation fund. This lodgement process can be completed online via your MyGov account or by post. Ideally, we should allow 4 weeks at the least for this approval process and release of funds though we have heard stories of this being processed much quicker than that. 

When is payment required?

The full cost of the surgery is required to be paid prior to surgery and then you will be issued with an invoice/receipt to claim back from Medicare & your private health fund after the procedure.

Fee changes.

There is usually some increase in surgery costs each year, so there may be an increase to these fees depending upon how far down the track you would be looking at surgery, but we will go through the costs and provide an estimate once we are to the point of booking your chosen surgery.

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