Costs
How do I start?
The first thing you need to do is make an appointment with Dr Adib who will assess your personal requirements, advise you on the most appropriate course of action for your individual needs and answer all of your questions. You will need to organise a referral from your GP before you see Dr Adib in order to claim your Medicare rebate for this consultation.
This first consultation is really for you & Dr Adib to get to know each other and for you to feel very comfortable about the whole process before you make any decision to go ahead with the surgery and the 12 month follow-up program.
At this point you may decide that this weight loss option is not for you, or you may decide to go ahead. It’s entirely your decision.
Click here if you wish to make an appointment with Dr Adib.
How much will it cost?
The program continues for 12 months after the surgery and the fees include both the surgical procedure & the follow up program with Dr Adib. If you are covered by private health insurance your out-of-pocket expenses will be around $4500-4950 which covers:
- Surgery in a private hospital
- Your surgeon and assistant surgeon fees
You'll also be liable for:
- Your anaesthetist fees
- All clinic follow-up appointment including:
- 8 dietitian consultations
- 2 psychology appointments
- Follow-up consultations with your specialist surgeon and clinic physician
- This includes all your band adjustments
- You can also access to our support groups, which are conducted every fortnight by our psychologists.
The program fee must be paid in full before your surgery. Please note that you cannot claim a further rebate from your health fund or Medicare as these discounts have already been taken into account in our program fee. However, you may be eligible to claim a further rebate when you lodge your tax return as our program qualifies for the Medicare Safety Net.
Are there any costs not covered by the program fee?
Whilst the program fee covers all the major costs associated with your weight loss procedure and your lifelong aftercare, there may be some other potential costs to be aware of.
For instance:
- Your initial consultation with Dr Adib is $146 (this is the standard initial consultation fee to see a specialist- you will be able to get a Medicare rebate provided you have a GP referral)
- Meal replacement products prior to surgery (available from all leading pharmacies and many discount outlets)
- Health funds often charge an excess the first time you claim on your health insurance policy each year. Please check the amount with your private health insurer.
- Medical tests or referrals to other medical specialists if needed. This is not required for most patients, however sometimes unrecognised medical conditions are detected during our work-up for surgery which may require treatment prior to surgery for safety reasons, for instance sleep apnoea
- X-rays may occasionally be required in the future to check the position of your gastric band or size of your sleeve. This will only needed if symptoms develop later on.
But I've seen it quoted cheaper than this!
Please be very careful when comparing costs. Remember that up to 15% of patients may need further surgery & some practices charge significant further out-of-pocket costs for revisional surgery.
Further expenses may be incurred where other tests such as sleep testing or cardiac assessment tests are required & we have no control over these costs.