Southern Health is part of Australia's public health care system and offers hospital care to any Australian resident under Medicare arrangements. Your options for receiving care are either as a hospital patient (non-chargeable) or private patient (chargeable). You must decide which of the options is best for you, and complete a form to indicate this.

Hospital (non-chargeable) Patient

• you will be treated by a doctor or doctors nominated by the hospital
  
• you will not be charged for medical or hospital services
• after discharge your care will be carried out in either the out-patient clinic, one of the hospital's specialists in his/her private rooms or you will be referred to your local general practitioner.

Private (chargeable) Patient

• If you are privately insured you may choose to assign your health insurance benefits for accommodation and surgically implanted prostheses to the hospital
  
• you will be treated by a doctor of your own choice, provided the doctor is on the staff of the hospital and agrees to treat you as a private patient. You may ask for the doctor (a member of the staff) on call at the hospital and be admitted under the care of that doctor as a private patient.
• you will enter into a private agreement for care with the doctor of your choice and with other doctors your treating doctor may choose to assist in your care
• you will be responsible for all your medical expenses such as radiology and pathology, while you are in hospital
• you will be charged a daily rate for hospital accommodation. The shared room rate will be covered in full if you have basic hospital insurance. If you participate in a Share-save or Budget Plan scheme you will be liable for the excess. Check your insurance membership book for details. The fee you will he charged as a private patient depends on your length of stay and the exact type of treatment you require
• t.he care you receive is classified according to a set schedule of patient types and these have a matching schedule of fees. Because the care you require is determined by your doctor, you cannot choose to be charged as a particular patient type
• if you have been hospitalised within the last seven days prior to your admission the length of stay classification for your present illness may be altered
• following discharge from hospital, you will be cared for by your doctor in his/her private consulting rooms or referred to your local general practitioner
• you should also understand that the doctor you request to treat you must also be in agreement that you are his/her private patient.

Private uninsured patient or ineligible patient

Ineligible patients are those who are not covered by Medicare and do not have a Medicare card. Prior to your admission you will be required to pay a security deposit for your treatment, based on expected length of stay and procedures to be performed. Any balance due that exceeds the deposit paid, will be due and payable at the time of your discharge.

Not able to claim Hospital Benefits under Veteran's Affairs

You can claim Hospital and Medical costs from the Department of Veteran's Affairs. If on admission you are unsure whether the Department will agree to meet hospital charges, you will be asked to nominate, in the event that your entitlement is not confirmed, whether you wish to be admitted under Medicare as a hospital patient or, as a private patient.

 Veteran's Affairs patients are not required to pay for accommodation and prosthesis charges prior to a refund being obtained from the relevant fund.

WorkCover or Transport Accident Commission’s Regulations

You will be asked to sign a Compensable Patient Declaration to cover the possibility that your claim for compensation may not proceed. You will also be requested to indicate whether you wish to be admitted under the Medicare arrangements as either a Hospital Patient or Private Patient.  Please bring your Medicare card and your health insurance fund membership book with you on admission to the hospital.