TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT

This document contains the standard terms of our engagement with you as part of your care with Dr Jeremy Tannenbaum (Trading as JT Tannenbaum & AM Vellianitis Pty Ltd, ABN 43 643 043 574). For the purposes of this statement, “Us”, “Our”, and “We” refer to Dr Tannenbaum and/or associated practices and “You” and “Your” refer to you, the patient, visitor, and/or client who utilise these services.

Please read this statement thoroughly. By signing the Patient Registration form before your first appointment, you are agreeing to these terms. If there are any terms you do not wish to accept or consent to, you must inform Dr Tannenbaum in writing about which ones. Please note that if you choose not to accept any of these terms, Dr Tannenbaum may not be able to provide your care.  

If you have any questions regarding these terms of engagement, please contact Perth Clinic Medical Suites, 21 Havelock St, WEST PERTH WA 6005 T:(08) 9389 2350 and ask to speak with the Practice Manager.

 

1) Providing healthcare-related details

By accepting these terms, you agree to provide accurate personal and medical information (see Privacy Policy) via written forms. This information is needed to deliver healthcare services; without it, your care may be incomplete or not able to be provided.

 

1.1. Guardianship, Administrators, and Enduring Power of Attorney

If you are not personally responsible for your health care or financial matters—for example, if these responsibilities have been assigned to a guardian, administrator, enduring power of attorney, or public advocate—you hereby authorize us to liaise directly with the designated individual to address any healthcare or financial needs related to your care.

 

1.2. Advanced Health Directives

If you have an Advanced Health Directive and/or Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, you must advise us. It is your responsibility to ensure Dr Tannenbaum and the Practice have a copy of any specific healthcare needs so that these are followed.

 

2) Privacy policy

Since Dr Tannenbaum provides healthcare services, it's important you understand how your personal information is handled. This is a summary of our policy; for detailed information, please refer to the Privacy Policy you've received. By signing the Registration Form, you confirm that you've read and understood the entire Privacy Policy.

 

Dr Tannenbaum and Perth Clinic collect personal information needed to address and treat your health concerns. Most of this information is used within the clinic, but occasionally it may be shared to ensure quality care and service continuity. For example, we might use your details for managing your health condition, administrative purposes, or billing. There are times when your personal information may need to be shared outside Perth Clinic, such as referring you to another medical professional, arranging tests, or processing Medicare accounts.

 

To manage your health condition effectively, we might ask for your permission to gather information from other healthcare providers. Granting consent is optional and part of your registration process. However, if you don’t allow us to gather this information, it could limit Dr. Tannenbaum’s ability to fully assess your health.

 

All records containing your personal information are owned by Dr. Tannenbaum. If you decide to see a different doctor, we can send copies of your files once we receive your written request. We will never share your details with others without your written consent, unless required by law.

Should you wish to obtain a copy of your health records, please contact Perth Clinic Medical Suites at (08) 9389 2350 and talk to the Practice Manager. All requests for information will follow Australian federal and state legal requirements.

 

3) Communications policy

Currently, our preference is to communicate via telephone, email or other electronic messaging through the practice management software Xestro. If you do not have access to these communication channels, then you will need to present to our clinic in person.

 

3.1. Telehealth

Some healthcare-related services may be completed via telephone or televideo. All initial consultation appointments MUST be via televideo or face-to-face (phone consultations for an initial appointment are not possible). If you prefer either telehealth or face-to-face consultation, you must advise us at the time of booking. If conducted via televideo, you consent to be provided with a telehealth video link to enable the appointment.

 

3.2. Reminder system

Perth Clinic Medical Suites uses a reminder system to help you maintain your appointments. The practice sends email, telephone, voicemail and/or SMS appointment reminders. You are free to consent/not consent to this as part of your New Patient Registration Form.

 

4) Fees policy

It is essential that you attend your appointment for any health service with a clear understanding of the associated financial obligations. Prior to undergoing any appointment or treatment-related service, all patients are required to review, provide consent for, and sign the Financial Consent form. This document outlines the anticipated medical costs related to your care under Dr. Tannenbaum.

 

4.1. Outpatient consultation & treatment related services

Outpatient service fees vary by patient category. 

4.1.1. Private patients

If you are personally funding your health care, payment is required prior to or on the day of your appointment with Dr Tannenbaum. The medical fee estimate will specify any relevant Medicare or health fund rebate eligibility. On the day of your appointment, a receipt will be provided for claiming applicable rebates. Alternatively, we can process your claim electronically, allowing you to receive any eligible rebate directly from Medicare.

 

4.1.2. Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA)

DVA Gold card and pre-approved White card holders pay no fees. Dr Tannenbaum accepts the DVA benefit as full payment, and the Practice bills DVA directly for related invoices.

 

4.1.3. Third-party payors

If you have an insurer covering your appointment (such as for a motor vehicle accident or workers’ compensation), Dr Tannenbaum needs written confirmation from them agreeing to pay before scheduling your visit. During registration, you'll provide the insurer’s details, claim number (if applicable), and your case manager’s contact information. Once approval is received, you won’t need to pay upfront—Dr Tannenbaum will send the invoice directly to your insurer.

If your insurer doesn’t approve coverage for the appointment, no booking will occur. We’ll let you know if we don’t get their approval. In that case, Dr Tannenbaum will decide if he can still help; if so, he may offer you an appointment as a private patient. You can then choose to proceed privately or close the referral.

 

4.1.4. Bulk-billing patients

Bulk billing means that your healthcare provider bills Medicare directly for your medical or allied health services. With this arrangement, you agree to give up your Medicare rebate, and Dr Tannenbaum accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment—so you pay nothing out of pocket. The Practice processes direct billing Medicare for any bulk-billed invoices on behalf of Dr Tannenbaum. However, because Medicare rebates have not kept up with increasing healthcare costs, bulk billing is now only available for selected services and will be considered individually.

 

4.1.5. Outpatient costs that are not covered

You are responsible for costs not covered by Medicare, DVA, your health fund, or third-party insurers, including any ‘gap’ payments for private patients. Some outpatient services, such as certain medicolegal reports and treatments, may not qualify for a Medicare rebate; these are priced on application based on the specific service.

 

4.2. Inpatient services and hospital admission 

Please note that Dr Tannenbaum does not routinely offer any inpatient psychiatric admissions. He may provide complex pain and psychiatric second opinions for patients admitted to Perth Clinic under the care of other accredited psychiatrists. Fees for inpatient hospital admission depend on the category of patient you represent and your health insurance coverage.

 

4.2.1. Private health insurance-funded patients

If your private health insurance covers admission to Perth Clinic, Dr Tannenbaum typically does not charge a gap for consultations; we bill your insurer directly. You are responsible for confirming your coverage before any consultation or investigation. Contact your health fund before hospital admission and ask:

 

·       Am I covered for this admission, specialist consultations, treatments, or investigations?

·       Do I have an excess payment, and what is the amount?

·       Are co-payments required?

·       Have I completed all waiting periods?

·       Does my policy exclude any suggested treatments?

·       Are any conditions or investigations not covered?

 

4.2.2. Uninsured patients

If you are uninsured, the consultation fees are set in accordance with Dr Tannenbaum’s current standard outpatient fees, as per the Financial Consent form.

Your fee must be paid before booking. A receipt will be issued to you to claim any applicable Medicare rebate, or we can electronically submit this on your behalf if you prefer.

 

4.2.3. Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA)

There is no fee for DVA Gold card and pre-approved White card holders. In an approved DVA arrangement, Dr Tannenbaum accepts the DVA benefit as full payment (i.e. no cost to you). Perth Clinic, on behalf of Dr Tannenbaum, will direct bill and receive payment from DVA with any DVA related invoices.

 

4.2.4. Third party patients

For third-party insurer accounts (e.g. motor vehicle accidents, Worker’s Compensation), we require written confirmation of fee coverage before booking your procedure or hospital admission. Once approved, there is no payment required from you, and we will directly bill your insurer on Dr Tannenbaum’s behalf.

 If approval is not granted, your booking cannot proceed. We will notify you if approval is not received, and you may then choose to become a private patient or cancel the referral.

 

4.2.5. Additional costs

Dr Tannenbaum is not liable for any out-of-pocket expenses you may incur from other health practitioners, hospital fees, or any excess payments required by your Health Insurer. If needed, Dr. Tannenbaum can provide you with the contact details of the hospital and other health practitioners.

 

4.2.6. Inpatient costs that are not covered

You are responsible for any costs not covered by Medicare, your health fund, DVA, or third-party insurers. If hospital rates exceed insurer reimbursements, you must pay the difference. We will inform you of any inpatient services without a Medicare rebate or out-of-pocket expenses. Dr Tannenbaum may ask for pre-payment of these services.

 

4.3. Assigning your billing rights to Dr Tannenbaum (if applicable)

If you require bulk billing, DVA, third-party, or health fund payments to be made directly to Dr Tannenbaum, you agree to assign your benefit rights to Dr Tannenbaum. For private and uninsured patients who pay the full fee, any benefits will be paid directly to them.

 

When an invoice is issued for bulk-billed DVA, health fund, or third-party services, you are assigning your benefit rights to the healthcare professional who provided the service(s). Patients receiving bulk billing through DVA, a health insurer, or a third party, and who sign the New Patient Registration Form, consent to this assignment of benefit rights to the healthcare professional. Additionally, by pressing OK/YES on the EFTPOS terminal during payment, bulk billed patients further consent to assign their rights to the healthcare provider as part of the payment process.

 

4.4. Claims enquiries

For patients to be able to access any applicable Medicare, DVA, third-party party and/or health fund-related rebates, the Practice staff may be required to make queries with the relevant departments. Any such investigations are for claim purposes only, and we agree to maintain the confidentiality of the information that is obtained.

 

By signing the consent on your New Patient Registration Form, you are confirming that you are consenting for the Practice to search for or confirm your Medicare / DVA / Health fund /3rd party details for claiming purposes only.  We agree to maintain the confidentiality of the information we obtain for claiming purposes only.

 

4.5. Outstanding invoices

All outstanding invoices need to be paid before any appointments can be made. For approved third-party, motor vehicle, and Worker’s Compensation insurer accounts, two outstanding invoices will be allowed. If there are three or more outstanding invoices, then these will need to be paid before any appointments for consultations and/or services are booked.

 

4.6. Refunds

Once Dr Tannenbaum has provided any service, we are unable to provide any form of refund.

 

4.7. Payments

Dr Tannenbaum accepts payment via cash, EFTPOS, Visa, Amex or MasterCard. Due to transaction fees, all non-Amex card payments incur a 1.5% additional fee, and Amex payments incur a 2.5% credit card fee. Payment may be made online (link provided in Financial Consent and Payment Details form), over the phone or in person. A receipt will be issued to you.

 

For any service that incurs an out-of-pocket fee, you will be required to pay Dr Tannenbaum prior to the associated service being booked.

 

5) Appointment and booking policy

Please note that Dr Tannenbaum works 3 days per week at Perth Clinic Medical Suites and is unavailable for crisis or emergency support.

 

Dr Tannenbaum may change his workdays and hours at any time. If any changes might affect your appointment, we will try to give you as much advance notice as possible. No booking, appointment, or procedure will proceed unless we confirm it with you in writing.

Appointments are scheduled for specific time slots that can vary, so fees may differ depending on the length of the appointment.

You are responsible for discussing any needed prescriptions or document requests at the start of your appointment. Any prescription or document requests made outside the scheduled appointment will have an extra charge (see Prescription Policy for details).

Dr Tannenbaum does not complete forms for the National Disability Insurance Service or the Disability Support Pension.

If your appointment runs longer than the allocated time, you'll be charged a higher rate.

For third-party, motor vehicle, or Worker’s Compensation insurance claims, we need written confirmation from the insurer before booking the appointment. If this is not provided, or if the insurer declines approval, no appointment will be made unless you provide written agreement to cover the payment yourself. We will notify you if we haven't received third-party approval. At that point, you can choose to accept responsibility for payment or cancel the appointment. Before booking, we must receive your written permission agreeing to pay the account.

 

6) Cancellation and late attendance policy

It is essential that you are aware of your responsibilities regarding missed, cancelled, or late attendance for scheduled appointments. By booking an appointment, you agree to attend at the arranged time; accordingly, invoices will be generated based on the established fee schedule.

Insufficient notice of cancellation or non-attendance results in costs borne by Dr. Tannenbaum and may limit timely access to services for other patients. Therefore, a cancellation fee may be applied. Please note that cancellation fees are not reimbursable through Medicare, DVA, or your health fund.

 

6.1. Your obligations

If you need to cancel your appointment, we request a minimum of 2 working days prior notice. You are required to call Perth Clinic Medical Suites to cancel. If you need to cancel a procedure, you will be redirected to the appropriate administrator. 

If you are running late for an appointment, you are required to phone Perth Clinic Medical Suites to advise us of the likely time of attendance.

 

6.2. Late cancellations and missed appointments

If you miss your appointment or cancel with less than 2 business days’ notice, you will be required to pay a cancellation fee. For outpatient consultations and treatment services, you’ll be charged the entire cost of the missed appointment. Any pre-paid fees or deposits will not be refunded.

 

6.3. Late attendance to appointments

The appropriate action taken will depend on both the type of appointment scheduled and the extent of your late arrival.

If you arrive late for an outpatient appointment, it may be possible to provide services only for the remaining time allocated. If your arrival occurs more than 20 minutes after your scheduled appointment time, the appointment may be cancelled and considered missed.

Should late attendance result in partial completion of your appointment, an additional session may be required to finalize treatment or services, which will be invoiced as a separate account.

In cases where an appointment is only partly completed due to tardiness, charges for the full booking duration will apply. Any applicable rebates from Medicare, DVA, or health funds may be adjusted according to the actual time attended.

 

6.4. Rescheduling cancelled appointments

Dr Tannenbaum will offer to reschedule any missed or cancelled appointments, services and/or procedures. These will be invoiced as a new account and will only be appointed once any associated cancellation fee has been paid.

 If there are two consecutive missed and/or cancelled appointments, without medical or emergency reason, you will be discharged from the care of Dr Tannenbaum. You may be required to provide a medical certificate to substantiate any claims.

 

6.5. Dr Tannenbaum cancelled and delayed appointments

If Dr Tannenbaum cancels your appointment, no cancellation fee will be payable. If there has been any pre-payment of an appointment that we have cancelled, you will receive a refund in full with no deductions or fees applicable. You will have the option to credit any prepayments towards a future appointment.

 

Occasionally, your appointment may be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. We will endeavour to contact you to advise you of this situation as soon as possible, however, this may not always be possible.

 

6.6. Medical emergencies and/or unforeseen circumstances

Should you need to cancel due to medical reasons or unforeseen emergencies, kindly inform the Practice Manager by telephone at your earliest convenience. In such cases, late cancellation fees will be waived, and any advance payments will be refunded or credited accordingly. Please note that a medical certificate may be required to support your request.

 

7) Referral policy

Referrals to medical practitioners are subject to expiration. Referrals provided by other specialists remain valid for three months, while those issued by general practitioners typically expire after twelve months unless designated as “indefinite.” Indefinite referrals are valid for up to five years.

To obtain funding through Medicare, DVA, or private health insurance for your appointment—including procedures—it is essential that you have a current, unexpired referral.

You are responsible for ensuring that your referral remains current. Our staff are available to assist with information regarding your referral’s expiry date.

If your referral has expired at the time of your appointment, you will be required to pay the full fee, and claims for rebates from Medicare, DVA, or health funds will not be accepted.

 

8) Prescription policy

Prescriptions should be requested during your scheduled appointment. In certain exceptional circumstances, some prescriptions may be requested outside of appointments.

 

There will be a $50.00 + GST fee for routine (non-restricted) prescriptions requested outside of appointment times. Alternatively, you can request your prescriptions at the beginning of your consultation or consult your General Practitioner for repeat prescriptions (except for certain restricted medicines).

 

For Schedule 8 medications, it may be necessary to arrange a consultation with your physician to obtain a prescription, and an additional fee may apply due to the extended authorisation process.

Please be advised that certain printed prescriptions, such as those for Schedule 8 medications, must be presented in their original form to the nominated pharmacy; these documents cannot be transmitted via fax or email.

 

9) Opioid (morphine-like) and other ‘drugs of abuse’ restricted medication policy (e.g. stimulants, benzodiazepines)

Both you and your doctor are subject to strict regulations when specific medicines classified as potential ‘drugs of abuse’ are prescribed.

 

These medications include but are not limited to opioids (morphine-like substances e.g. tapentadol, tramadol, buprenorphine, oxycodone, codeine, morphine), stimulants (e.g. dexamfetamine, methylphenidate, Vyvanse) and benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam and other ‘-pam’ drugs). Your doctor may need to obtain special approval from the Department of Health to provide ongoing prescriptions.

 

As a dual-qualified pain specialist and psychiatrist, Dr Tannenbaum follows evidence-based practice when it comes to the use of opioids in the management of chronic non-cancer pain. This means that there are very few instances in which Dr Tannenbaum will use opioids in the management of chronic non-cancer pain.

 

In the instances that opioids are indicated, Dr Tannenbaum will only use atypical slow-release opioids (e.g. tapentadol, buprenorphine) and for a defined period (i.e. not indefinitely).

 

Please note that Dr Tannenbaum does NOT recommend or prescribe any of the typical morphine-like opioids (e.g. codeine, oxycodone, morphine, hydromorphone, methadone, and fentanyl) under any circumstances. These medications have no evidence of long-term benefit for chronic pain but are associated with significantly increased risks, including death from overdose, increased pain sensitivity (opioid-induced hyperalgesia), bowel and urinary problems, hormonal problems, bone thinning (osteoporosis) and immune suppression, leading to increased risks of infection and possibly certain cancer spread or recurrence.

 

Dr Tannenbaum does not routinely provide ongoing prescriptions of opioid-related medications or most other drugs of abuse such as benzodiazepines. If an opioid prescription is recommended or commenced by Dr Tannenbaum, your referring doctor may be given the authority to provide the opioid-related prescription. It is your responsibility to ensure your referring doctor is willing to provide any opioid-related or other recommended prescriptions.

 

In the case of stimulant medications, patients must adhere to further specific local regulations. Your referring doctor may be authorised to prescribe stimulants in extenuating circumstances. For further information, please refer to the Healthy WA website.

 

When signing your agreement to these Standard Terms of Engagement, and you have also been provided with an opioid or other drug of abuse prescription and/or authorisation by Dr Tannenbaum, you are agreeing to the following:

  • ·       You will not use the medicine other than at the dose prescribed.

  • ·       You agree to take the medicine only as prescribed for the relevant condition and not to change the dose.

  • ·       You will discuss any changes in your dose with your medical practitioner beforehand.

  • ·       You are responsible for the security of your medicine. Lost, misplaced or stolen medicines or prescriptions for opioids and other drugs of abuse medicines will not be replaced.

  • ·       You will only obtain the medicine from the authorised medical practitioner to provide the prescription or other doctors in the same practice authorised to prescribe it to you.

  • ·       You understand that no early prescriptions will be provided.

  • ·       You should fill all your prescriptions at the same pharmacy.

  • ·       You will tell your doctor of any problems you may be having with your treatment.

  • ·       You are aware that your medical practitioner must obtain authorisation from the Department of Health for continued prescription of a restricted medicine.

  • ·       You are aware that your medical practitioners may contact the Department of Health to gain access to your prescription history or review your history on the ScriptCheckWA website before any prescription or authority is provided.

  • ·       If you are travelling away from home for long periods of time, you will need to discuss your opioid medicine requirements with your doctor so arrangements can be made if ongoing supply is required.

  • ·       You have informed your medical practitioner of any present or past dependence on alcohol or drugs that you may have had, and of any illegal activity related to any drugs (including prescription medicines) that you may have been involved in.

  • ·       You are aware that providing your medicine to other people is illegal and could be dangerous to them.

  • ·       You will work with your medical practitioner to improve your level of functioning and reduce the symptoms relevant to the condition being treated.

  • ·       You understand that your medical practitioner may stop prescribing your medicine or change the treatment plan if your level of function has not improved, if you do not show a significant reduction in your symptoms, or if you do not comply with any of the conditions listed above.

 

10) Other important practice information

Dr Tannenbaum provides a part-time private outpatient specialist service. The Practice will be able to provide administrative support relating to your health care during normal hours of operation. Please note that Dr Tannenbaum works three days per week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and cannot offer treatment outside of these days.

 

10.1. Emergency care

Treatment and consultations are only available during our regular working hours. Should you require urgent medical attention outside these times, please contact emergency services by dialling 000 or visit your nearest hospital Emergency Department.

 

10.2. Events out of our control

Occasionally, factors beyond our control may disrupt scheduled consultations or services. These disruptions are usually—though not always—due to directives from government bodies, hospitals, Medicare, DVA, third-party insurers, or health funds, and can sometimes happen without warning. We will make every effort to contact you and provide timely updates should this occur.