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Payments and Rebates
Lake Imaging is a private radiology practice, servicing the communities of Geelong, Ballarat, Warrnambool and Western / North Melbourne. Some services will incur a gap fee and bulk billing is available to Medicare eligible patients for selected examinations.
Changes to Medicare imaging claims
From 1 July 2026, updated Medicare legislative requirements are available for imaging services that are bulk billed.
If your imaging service is billed directly to Medicare, you will be asked to provide consent for an Assignment of Benefits (AoB) prior to your examination. This allows Medicare to pay the benefit directly to your imaging provider on your behalf. A consent form is required for each billed service, and Imaging providers are required to retain a record of this consent.
What this means for your appointment
As per this new legislation, consent will be completed as part of the check‑in process:
- You will be asked to review and sign an AoB form when you arrive
- This is a brief step and part of standard administrative procedures
- Where multiple services are performed, these may be grouped or recorded separately depending on how they are billed
- Your signed form will be securely stored as part of your billing record
Who this applies to
This requirement applies to patients whose imaging services are billed directly to Medicare.
Privately billed services are not affected, unless otherwise advised.
If consent is not provided
Medicare requires consent for bulk billing to occur. If consent is refused, the service will be billed privately, and payment will be required on the day.
Additional information
- A parent or legal guardian can provide consent for a patient under 18
- If a patient is unable to sign, appropriate arrangements will be made in line with relevant legal requirements.
Outpatient Services
At Lake Imaging our billing policy reflects our commitment to provide high-quality radiology services via highly trained professionals using the latest equipment.
For concession cardholders, where Medicare eligible, most procedures will be bulk-billed and will not attract a gap payment.
For services not covered by Medicare, we will charge a gap to be paid in full on the day of your appointment.
The gap charged varies depending on the amount of government support for the test and the complexity of the procedure.
Please feel free to contact one of our clinic locations for any queries about our service fees.
Inpatient Services
Lake Imaging provides diagnostic imaging services for patients at:
- St John of God Hospital – Geelong
- St John of God Hospital – Ballarat
- Bacchus Marsh Hospital
- Kyneton Hospital
- Daylesford Hospital
Lake Imaging is a separate company from these private hospitals and their Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments. If you require medical imaging tests during your hospital stay, these services will be provided by Lake Imaging either on the ward, in theatre or within the radiology department.
If you require medical imaging as an inpatient, the cost of the radiology service may be covered by a government rebate and your private health fund.
Private health funds do vary in the level of cover they provide for imaging services. Therefore, some inpatients may have an out-of-pocket expense. This is the gap between the Medicare rebate, your private health fund contribution and the fee charged by Lake Imaging for your examination.
If you have an out-of-pocket expense you will receive a separate account from Lake Imaging for the services performed. These accounts will usually be sent to you. As a patient in a private hospital, it’s your responsibility to pay these accounts.
- There are NO out-of-pocket expenses for patients with a Health Care Card or an Aged Pension Card
- There are NO out-of-pocket expenses for Workcover or Department of Veterans Affairs patients
Emergency Department Fees
If you require medical imaging tests as a result of attending the Emergency Department at one of our associated hospitals, imaging services will be provided by Lake Imaging.
Lake Imaging is a separate company from these hospitals and their Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments.
If you have an out-of-pocket expense you may receive a separate account from Lake Imaging for the services performed. These accounts will usually be sent to you directly and, as a patient attending a private hospital, it’s your responsibility to pay these accounts.
- There are NO out-of-pocket expenses for patients with a Health Care Card or an Aged Pension Card
- There are NO out-of-pocket expenses for Workcover or Department of Veterans Affairs patients
If you require an emergency imaging examination outside normal practice hours including public holidays, an additional After-Hours fee will appear on your account. This fee applies for all patients including Government Concession and Healthcare cardholders.
Payment
Full payment of the account is due on the day of service. Cash, EFTPOS and credit card accepted.
To pay using BPAY, contact your bank, credit union or building society to make a payment online or over the phone directly from your cheque or savings account.
BPAY biller code –40881
Bulk billing is available to all patients with a valid Government-issued concession card (Pension, Health Care Card) for eligible examinations.
There are no out-of-pocket gap fees for TAC, WorkCover and DVA approved patients.
Non-concession patients will incur an out-of-pocket gap fee for some examinations. We will immediately lodge a claim with Medicare so that the rebated component will be automatically deposited into your nominated bank account. If you have any questions about the cost of our services, contact us on 1300 525 300 (1300 LAKE 00).
For any account enquiries or to make a payment, please phone 1300 654 568.