Fees
Understanding Specialist Dermatology Fees in Private Practice
At Drummond Dermatology, we are committed to providing high-quality, personalised specialist medical care for patients with skin disorders. We recognise that healthcare costs are an important consideration for patients and their families, and we believe fees should be transparent, fair and clearly explained.
Specialist Expertise and Training
Dermatologists are specialist medical practitioners who undertake extensive training before practising independently.
This pathway typically includes:
- Completion of a university medical degree
- Several years of postgraduate hospital and community medical training
- Competitive selection into the Australian dermatology specialist training program
- Four years of accredited specialist dermatology training
- Successful completion of rigorous specialist examinations
- Ongoing continuing professional development and professional regulation
In addition to specialist qualifications, Dr Drummond has more than 20 years of experience in dermatology practice and has developed particular expertise in paediatric and vulval dermatology, areas in which there are relatively few specialists available regionally.
Patients are therefore not only paying for the time spent in the consultation room, but also for the specialist knowledge, clinical judgement, experience and expertise required to diagnose and manage often complex medical conditions.
What a Consultation Involves
The time spent face-to-face with a patient represents only part of the work involved in providing specialist care.
Professional services commonly include:
- Reviewing referral information and previous medical records
- Assessing complex medical histories
- Formulating diagnoses and treatment plans
- Communication with referring doctors and other health professionals
- Reviewing and acting on pathology and investigation results
- Responding to patient enquiries after consultations
- Prescribing and monitoring treatments
- Meeting professional, regulatory and medico-legal requirements
- Maintaining detailed medical records
Many of these activities occur outside the consultation itself but are essential to safe, high-quality patient care.
The Costs of Operating a Specialist Medical Practice
Like all professional businesses, specialist medical practices incur substantial operating expenses.
These include:
- Practice premises and fit-out costs
- Staff wages, superannuation and employment costs
- Information technology systems and support
- Medical equipment and consumables
- Medical indemnity insurance
- Business and workers compensation insurance
- Professional registration and accreditation fees
- Utilities and communication services
- Cleaning, maintenance and administration costs
Providing a modern, well-equipped and professionally staffed practice allows patients to receive care in a comfortable, efficient and responsive environment.
Medicare Rebates
A common misconception is that Medicare determines what doctors should charge. This is not the case.
In Australia, medical practitioners are free to determine the fees they charge for their professional services. The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rebate is a government contribution towards the cost of care rather than a reflection of the true cost of providing that care.
For many years, Medicare rebates have not kept pace with inflation or with the increasing costs of delivering medical services. As a result, the gap between Medicare rebates and the actual cost of providing specialist care has continued to widen.
In many cases, Medicare rebates do not cover the operating costs associated with providing specialist medical services, including staff wages, rent, information technology systems, insurance, medical equipment and regulatory compliance. Medicare rebates also do not reflect the years of training, specialist expertise, clinical judgement and experience required to provide high-quality specialist care.
In dermatology, this issue is particularly significant. Many Medicare item numbers available to dermatologists were originally developed around surgical consultation models and do not adequately reflect the complexity, breadth and time requirements of modern dermatological practice. Dermatology consultations frequently involve multiple conditions, chronic disease management, medication monitoring, counselling and complex diagnostic decision-making that are not well represented by current rebate structures.
For these reasons, specialist dermatology fees cannot reasonably be based solely on Medicare rebates. Medicare rebates are paid by the Commonwealth Government directly to patients and represent a contribution towards the cost of care. They do not determine the value of the specialist service provided.
Public Hospital Dermatology Services
Over many years, demand for dermatology services has increased while public hospital dermatology resources have remained limited in many parts of Australia.
Access to public dermatology services is often restricted to patients with the most urgent or severe conditions, and waiting times for routine dermatology appointments may be prolonged. In some regions, public dermatology services have been reduced or are unavailable for many non-urgent conditions.
Many patients who require timely specialist assessment therefore choose to seek care in private practice.
Private specialist practices play an important role in maintaining access to dermatology services and reducing pressure on the public health system. Unlike public hospitals, private practices receive no direct government funding for their day-to-day operations and must meet all staffing, infrastructure, equipment and operating costs through practice revenue.
The Value of Specialist Care
The cost of healthcare is only one aspect of the decision to seek medical care. Equally important is the value patients receive.
Patients are often seeking not simply a consultation, but expert assessment, reassurance, clinical judgement and a treatment plan tailored to their individual circumstances.
Unlike many products or services, specialist medical expertise cannot be mass-produced, automated or replicated. Each consultation involves individual assessment and real-time clinical decision-making based on years of training and experience.
Patients are paying not only for a consultation, but for expertise, experience, professional judgement and the opportunity to prevent, improve or resolve important health problems. The value of specialist care often extends beyond treatment itself, providing reassurance, confidence and peace of mind.
Patient Choice
Patients have a range of options available to them, including:
- General practitioners
- Skin cancer clinics
- Telehealth providers
- Public hospital dermatology services
- Other private dermatologists
Patients choose Drummond Dermatology because they value access to experienced specialist care in a responsive private practice setting.
Most patients require only occasional specialist consultations, often once or twice per year, and wherever possible management plans are designed to minimise the need for ongoing visits while maintaining high-quality care.
Our Commitment to Fair and Transparent Fees
We believe that patient interests must always come first.
Our fees are:
- Clearly communicated before appointments
- Available through our practice and website
- Discussed openly when requested
- Supported by written quotations for procedures where appropriate
- Structured according to the complexity and time involved in care
We are committed to ensuring patients have sufficient information and time to understand fees before proceeding with treatment and to discuss alternative arrangements where cost may otherwise prevent access to necessary care.
Commitment to Access and Social Responsibility
Drummond Dermatology recognises that healthcare costs can present challenges for some patients and is committed to balancing the provision of high-quality specialist care with social responsibility and equitable access.
While maintaining a sustainable specialist practice requires fees that reflect the costs of providing care, we seek to support patients who may experience financial disadvantage.
This commitment includes:
- Reduced consultation fees for eligible Age Pension and Disability Support Pension recipients
- Consideration of reduced fees in cases of genuine financial hardship
- Direct billing of Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) patients, with no out-of-pocket expense
- Bulk billing of eligible patients referred through Aboriginal Health Services
- Bulk billing of eligible patients referred through Refugee Health Services
- Provision of fee information before appointments to enable informed decision-making
These measures reflect our belief that access to specialist dermatology care should not be determined solely by a person’s financial circumstances.
At the same time, the practice must remain financially sustainable in order to continue providing timely access to specialist services, maintain experienced staff, invest in equipment and technology, and deliver the high standard of care our patients expect.
Finally
Private specialist dermatology fees reflect the expertise, training, experience and professional judgement required to provide high-quality medical care, together with the substantial costs involved in operating a modern specialist practice.
Drummond Dermatology remains committed to supporting vulnerable members of the community through targeted fee concessions and bulk-billing arrangements for eligible patients.
Our goal is to provide exceptional care that delivers meaningful value through accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, specialist expertise and peace of mind.
Drummond Dermatology
Suite 16, Francis Chambers
40-42 Corinna St, Phillip ACT 2606
The best way to contact us is via email
E: contact@drumderm.com.au
P: +61 2 5114 2682
F: +61 2 5114 2684
Office Hours
Mondays and Fridays: 9.30am – 2.00pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Wednesdays: 9.00am – 3.00pm
How to get here
Drummond Dermatology pays respect to all First Nations Australians on whose traditional lands we meet and work, and whose cultures are among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.