FAQ

We suggest you allow a minimum of 1 – 2 hours for your consultation as tests and treatments may be required on the day of your visit. In many instances the ophthalmologist may request these at the time of your appointment for your convenience; especially for those patients travelling great distances.

The ophthalmologists at the Launceston Eye Institute endeavour to run as close to the appointment time as possible however unavoidable delays may occur. In the event of an emergency we will schedule these at the end of our consultation sessions, however in some instances a patient may be required to be seen immediately which may cause a delay.

If you feel that you have been waiting an unusually lengthy period of time please notify the reception staff and they may be able to advise on the reason for the delay.

• Your most recent reading and distance glasses
• A list of your current medications
• A current referral if this has not been forwarded by your referring practitioner
• Medicare, pension and private health insurance information
• If you are diabetic, we recommend that you bring a small snack with you, alternatively there is a small cafe located on the ground floor which serves light refreshments and hot drinks.
• If you are a contact lens wearer a cast to put your lenses in whilst you are being examined

There will be an account for your consultation and any other tests that you may have on your visit to Launceston Eye Institute.

It is practice policy that accounts are settled on the day of your consultation. Payment can be made by cash, cheque, credit card and EFTPOS facilities are available. A discount is given if your account is settled in full on the day of consultation.

Please notify staff if this causes you financial difficulty and alternative arrangements may be able to be made. If your account is settled in full on the day of consultation we can arrange to have your Medicare refund sent directly to you.

If you fail to attend for your appointment without 24 hours notice you may receive an account.

If you would like to phone prior to your consultation the staff are able to give an estimate of the cost for your consultation. However, in some instances additional tests may be required in which case additional costs will be incurred.

We encourage all patients to register with Medicare for the Safety Net program to ensure they can obtain the maximum rebate once they have reached the Safety Net threshold.

The ophthalmologists at the Launceston Eye Institute routinely participate in No Gap and Known Gap billing for private in-patient hospital procedures – resulting in no out-of-pocket cost or a gap that is advised prior to your surgery. If you have any exclusions on your private health insurance, some surgical procedures may not be covered by your health fund, your health fund will be able to confirm this for you.

In most cases you will need drops in your eyes to dilate your pupils; this will cause your vision to become blurred. We strongly recommend you do not drive a vehicle and arrange alternate transport home following your consultation. The reception staff will organise a taxi if required. You may also be affected by glare, sunglasses will help alleviate this.

A referral ensures your ophthalmologist is correctly informed of your medical health by your general practitioner or your optometrist. Please ensure your referral is available prior to or on the day of your consultation. When possible we will notify you that your referral has expired, but ultimately it is your responsibility to ensure your referral is current. Referring providers cannot back date referrals, without a current referral Medicare will not refund your account at the specialist rate. If your referral has expired please contact your GP or optometrist to arrange a new one.

In most instances your ophthalmologist is happy to provide you with a repeat prescription for your ophthalmic medication. However if you have not been reviewed for some time you may be requested to see your ophthalmologists prior to the prescription being provided.

Please contact the reception staff at the Launceston Eye Institute on 03 6344 1377 with the details of the medication you are requiring a repeat for and details of where the prescription is to be forwarded to or if you will be collecting it.  There is no charge for repeat prescriptions.  Please allow at least one week for receipt of repeat prescriptions as your ophthalmologist may not be available at short notice to complete the request.

To ensure consistency with the management of your condition it may be a requirement to have a test repeated that you have already had done at your optometrist. This enables our doctors to track the progression and management of your condition, through our practice management software. We have very specific testing parameters that are required by our doctors to diagnose and manage your care.

In the event of an Emergency you can either contacting the Launceston Eye Institute reception during business hours on 03 6344 1377; or after hours contact the Launceston General Hospital on 03 6777 6777 to obtain contact details for the Ophthalmologist or registrar on call.

Launceston Eye Institute has plenty of free off street parking with designated disabled parking located directly in front of the building with easy access to the lift. Ramp access is also available at the rear of the building for patients using non urgent ambulance and hospital travel.

Community Transport Services Tasmania can provide patient transport to patients who are eligible for this service. Contact details to determine eligibility and bookings can be obtained from their website – www.ctst.org.au

Confidentiality of patient information is essential and Launceston Eye Institute respects and upholds the patients right to privacy protection. Our Privacy Policy outlines our obligations to comply with the Federal Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APP’s), March 2014 and the Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Act 2017. You can find out more about these principles by calling the office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1300 36 39 92 or their website at http://www.oaic.gov.au. Upon request Launceston Eye Institute can forward a copy of their Privacy Policy.