Paying Your Invoice

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What the invoice covers

Your invoice covers the paediatric services provided to your baby at the request of your obstetrician during your hospital stay. That includes:

• 24-hour on-call responsibility for your baby while in hospital
• The first newborn examination (early in the stay)
• Reviews on most days of the postnatal stay, every day in Special Care
• The discharge examination, done during the stay, by the day before you leave
• Coordination of routine screening (newborn bloodspot, hearing screen, pulse oximetry, hip examination)

It does not cover any post-discharge clinic appointments, those are billed separately on the day of attendance.

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Step-by-step: how to pay

The four-step process

1. Invoice arrives by email: usually a few weeks after discharge.
2. Pay the invoice in full: by phone or BPAY (see options below).
3. Send your baby’s Medicare number to admin@neopaeds.au once baby is enrolled.
4. We claim the rebate on your behalf: Medicare pays it directly into your nominated bank account, usually within a few days.

Step 1: Invoice arrives

You’ll receive an emailed invoice from our practice a few weeks after discharge. The email includes:

• The itemised invoice (PDF attachment)
• The remittance advice at the bottom of the invoice (BPAY biller details and reference number)
• A short note about how Medicare and private health insurance apply to the bill

If the invoice doesn’t arrive within 6 weeks of discharge, please email admin@neopaeds.au so we can re-send it.

Step 2: Pay in full

Two payment methods:

Payment options

By phone: credit or debit card

• Call (03) 9007 2099 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
• Have your invoice number and card details ready
• Receipt emailed to you the same day

By BPAY

• See the biller code and reference number at the bottom of the remittance advice on your invoice
• Pay through your normal banking app or internet banking
• Note: BPAY receipts take a few days to be issued (BPAY clears at end of business day, then we reconcile and send the receipt)

Bank cheque or direct bank transfer can be arranged if neither of the above works for you, contact admin.

Step 3: Send us your baby’s Medicare number

Babies are usually enrolled on Medicare in the first 1–2 weeks after birth. Once your baby has their own Medicare number (it’s an extra digit added to your existing card, or a new card altogether):

• Email admin@neopaeds.au with the baby’s full name, date of birth, Medicare number, and position on the card
• That’s all we need, we don’t need your bank details. Medicare pays the rebate into the account you’ve already nominated with Services Australia (the same one used for any other Medicare claims). You can check or update it via your myGov account → Medicare.

Step 4: We claim the rebate for you

Once we have payment + your baby’s Medicare details, we lodge the rebate claim with Services Australia. Medicare reviews and pays the rebate directly into your nominated bank account, usually within a few business days.

You don’t need to make a separate trip to a Medicare office, though that option is still available if you prefer to handle it yourself with the receipt we send.

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How big is the rebate?

Each item on your invoice attracts a Medicare rebate set by MBS Online; the rest is the gap you pay. The in-hospital fees page lists the rebate beside every item.

If you’ve already spent enough out-of-pocket on Medicare items earlier in the calendar year (often the case after pregnancy and birth), the Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) kicks in and the rebate becomes more generous. There’s a per-item cap, so it’s not always 80% back, but it’s usually meaningfully more than the standard rebate.

Want the detail?

The full mechanics of the EMSN, current thresholds and the per-item benefit cap are on our in-hospital fees page; Special Care billing is on the SCN page.

You can check your own Safety Net progress through your myGov → Medicare → Safety Net details (or call Services Australia on 132 011).

The EMSN rebate can only be claimed after you’ve paid the invoice in full: which is the main reason we ask for full payment before we lodge the claim on your behalf.

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Private health insurance

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If your baby isn’t enrolled on Medicare yet

Babies don’t need to be on Medicare for you to pay the invoice, you can pay first and claim later. If enrolment is delayed (overseas birth, paperwork pending), we’ll hold the rebate claim and lodge it once the Medicare number comes through. Just keep us posted.

If your family is not eligible for Medicare (some visa categories), the invoice is paid in full with no rebate. We can issue a detailed receipt suitable for travel insurance or self-funded reimbursement claims.

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Common questions

“Can’t the rebate just come off the invoice up front?”

That arrangement is called bulk billing: accepting the Medicare rebate as the full fee, with no gap. It’s typically used in specific Medicare-funded settings rather than private specialist practice. For most private consultations and in-hospital attendances, there is a gap above the Medicare rebate; once your invoice is paid, we can submit the rebate claim on your behalf.

“What if I can’t pay the full invoice straight away?”

That’s OK, please email admin@neopaeds.au or call (03) 9007 2099 and we’ll work something out with you. We can usually arrange a payment plan or extend the payment window. The earlier we know, the easier it is to set up something that works for your family.

“What about the antenatal consultation we had before baby was born?”

That’s billed separately on the day of the consult. Medicare rebate applies; the invoice and rebate are processed at the appointment.

“Will I get a tax-deductible receipt?”

Medical expenses are no longer broadly tax-deductible — the medical-expenses tax offset was phased out from 2014 — so these invoices aren’t a direct income-tax deduction. It’s still worth keeping your receipts and itemised invoices for your own records.

“What if I think the invoice is wrong?”

Email admin@neopaeds.au with your invoice number and what looks off. Our practice manager will check the items against the Medicare schedule and your hospital stay records, and explain or correct as needed.

“Do you charge for the 6-week paediatric review?”

Yes. It’s billed on the day as a clinic consultation, and the Medicare rebate applies. In the first few months after discharge, follow-up is usually item 116. A longer review on a new GP referral — covering two or more clinical issues, 45 minutes or more, with a written plan to your GP — is billed as item 132, which is commonly the case at this age; shorter or single-issue reviews are billed as item 110 or 116. Fees for all of these are on the clinic fees page.

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Questions about your invoice?

Email admin@neopaeds.au or call (03) 9007 2099 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm). Have your invoice number ready and we'll go through it.

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