Hi there. How can we help?

Telehealth Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Follow

This article answers the most commonly asked questions about our Telehealth feature!

Page Contents

Can I get bulk-billed Telehealth/can I claim a Medicare rebate?

Due to the changes to Medicare rebates and the bulk-billing policies for Telehealth GP Consults, under the current COVID-19 health measure, only GP clinics that have seen a patient face-to-face in the last 12 months are eligible to claim Medicare for Telehealth consults.
This means that many private billing practices who provide Telehealth cannot access MBS items and patients will not be eligible for a Medicare rebate.

For more information on this matter, check out the Australian Governments outline on Telehealth Services - MBS Telehealth Services from January 2022.

Will my Private Health Insurance cover this Telehealth Consultation?

Some Private Health Insurers may cover your Telehealth appointment in certain circumstances, for example if you are on an international VISA. We recommend you reach out to your Private Health Insurance provider and confirm whether this type of appointment can be covered with them.

I need extra information on my invoice to claim for my insurance.

Healthengine is an online booking directory and not a medical practice - we cannot issue medical invoices for your Telehealth Consultation appointments.
Payment confirmations from Healthengine are for the booking transactions only and cannot be used for claiming purposes. To gather the information needed for an insurance claim, you will need to request an itemised medical invoice from the practitioner/practice you have an appointment with. Please contact these medical practices for this information.

For those who book an appointment with 24-7Medcare or Doctors on Demand, all doctors have a provider number and their finance team will action the requests for receipts post-appointment. The receipt will contain the practitioner’s provider number and all other information.

Can I get one-off and repeat prescriptions?

Yes you can request one-off or repeat prescriptions! If you require a script as part of your consultation, simply speak with your doctor and you can have your script sent to you or a pharmacy of your choice.
When a script is being sent to the pharmacy of your choice, doctors will let their reception team know, who will then scan and email or fax the script to your pharmacy - this can take anywhere from 5 minutes to a couple of hours.

Alternatively, you can ask your doctor to prepare an E-Script which will be sent to you via SMS or emailed as a QR code which can then be taken to the pharmacy of your choice.

What medications can’t be prescribed through Telehealth?

Schedule 8 Controlled Drug medications or drugs of addiction cannot be prescribed by doctors. These Schedule 8 medicines are ‘controlled drugs’ that must meet specific conditions when being produced, supplied, distributed, owned and used. As these are classified as drugs of dependence, they pose a high risk of misuse and abuse. 

As well, 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 are not routinely prescribed and should be sourced from your regular GP.

Can I get a same day or multi-day medical certificate?

Medical certificates via online form are for the same day that the request is made. If you require a medical certificate for multiple days or have health requirements to discuss please book an online telehealth consultation. If you require a medical certificate it will be sent to you directly via email as a PDF.
hola healths policy states that medical certificates cannot be backdated for more than one day. As well, multi-day medical certificates can be provided but not beyond 7 days from the date of consultation.
We advise that you read the Practice Policies when booking an appointment online to confirm the practice guidelines in regards to medical certificates.

 

What services can Telehealth providers give me?

Telehealth providers can offer a wide range of services including mental health plans, medical certificates, script requests and work cover claims. These services can vary depending on the Telehealth provider, so we recommend checking their provided services before continuing to book online. You can find a list of these services on their Healthengine profiles below or on their websites which are provided at the end of this article.

 

Can I get a referral?

If you require a referral it will be sent to you directly via email as a PDF. It will either be a standard form so you can take it to whichever specialist you want (the doctor can provide a list of specialists and locations) or, you can ask for a referral to a specific specialist.

How will I receive my prescription/referral/medical certificate?

Your script will be sent to you or a pharmacy of your choice as discussed with your doctor at the time of your appointment. Alternatively, you can ask your doctor to prepare an E-Script which will be sent to you via SMS or emailed as a QR code to then be taken to the pharmacy of your choice.

Medical Certificates and referrals will be sent via email as a PDF. If you have not yet received your script, referral or medical certificate (or receive the incorrect one), please check your junk or spam folder first. If your documents still aren't there please reach out to the practice directly through the practice contact details found in your booking confirmation email, on their practice profile or at the bottom of this article.


How is payment taken for Telehealth services/when do I get charged?

Practices typically require a pre-payment from your debit/credit card to secure your booking. These prices vary depending on the practice so please check this on the practice profile before booking your appointment.

What happens if the doctor is running late?

If your doctor is running late to your scheduled appointment, the practice’s reception staff will call to let you know. If you do not hear from the practice, please reach out to them directly through the practice contact details found in your booking confirmation email or their practice profile. 

The doctor didn’t call me.

If the doctor doesn't call you at your scheduled time, please reach out to the practice directly through the practice contact details found in your booking confirmation email or their practice profile.

My card has been charged but the appointment was cancelled?

If you cancelled via your Healthengine account you will be automatically refunded. If you cancelled directly with the practice or via an appointment reminder, you will need to reach out to the clinic to process a refund for you. You can read more about this in our Telehealth Refunds - For Patients article.

I would like a refund.

Healthengine is unable to issue a refund on a practice’s behalf - if you require a refund for your Telehealth Consultation appointment, please make the request to the practice directly so they may process your refund at their discretion and earliest convenience.
Please bear in mind, whether you are entitled to a refund for any Telehealth services, will be determined by the policy of the Telehealth provider you booked an appointment with. 

I have a complaint about my appointment.

If you have a complaint about your appointment, simply follow this up with the practice directly by contacting them via the contact information found in your confirmation email or their practice profile.
If you feel it is required, you can report your practitioner concerns to AHPRA at the following website, How to Submit a Concern.

How do I enter hola health's video waiting room?

For an appointment with hola health, you will simply need a working mobile phone or computer with a stable internet connection and a front facing camera. 

After booking an appointment you will receive a link by text/email to join your appointment. Upon clicking the link you will enter the waiting room and be prompted to start the appointment once your practitioner becomes available.

Why does my booking say I have an appointment at midnight?

If your appointment says that it’s at midnight there's no need to lose sleep over it! The practice you’ve booked with is using a booking request form rather than set appointment times - this means the practice will contact you directly to organise an appointment time or will conduct the appointment immediately.

Can I request a consult if I have an emergency?

No. The services offered by Telehealth are not suitable for medical emergencies. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 000 or go to your nearest emergency hospital department.

I have a question about the Telehealth provider and their services.

You can find out more about your Telehealth provider and their services by following the links below or reaching out to the practices via their contact information.

 

hola health GP Telehealth Consults

Website: hola health GP Telehealth Consults Profile Page 
Email:support@hola.health

Phone: (08) 6365 5190

24-7Medcare GP Telehealth

Website: Frequently Asked Questions
Phone: 139 247
Email:reception@24-7Medcare.com.au

InstantScripts

Website: InstantScripts. From here, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says 'Contact Us' and submit a request for their customer support to reach out. 

 

If you have any questions that are not answered in this article please reach out to our friendly Customer Support Team via

Article is closed for comments.

Comments

Have more questions? Submit a request