Private patients

Before being admitted to a public hospital in Western Australia, you will be asked if you wish to be treated as a public or private patient.

If you have private health insurance with the appropriate level of cover, you can choose whether to be treated as a public or private patient. As a private patient you are guaranteed no out-of-pocket expense and can access a range of benefits that help make your stay more comfortable. In addition, the money refunded from your private health fund helps provide improved services for all patients.

Please note even if you have private health insurance, you may still choose to be treated as a public patient at a public hospital. Medicare eligible public patients in Western Australian public hospitals do not pay for accommodation, surgery, medication and other in-hospital services. The hospital chooses which doctors or specialists treat you and you may not have a choice about when you go to hospital.

Emergency department admission

If you are admitted as a private patient via a public hospital emergency department, you are guaranteed no out-of-pocket expense, including any additional expenses or costs associated with pathology, radiology and pharmaceutical requirements.

If you would like to use your private health insurance, please advise the emergency department admissions clerks, Private Patient Liaison Officer, or staff on the hospital ward.

Elective surgery admission

If you are admitted as a private patient for elective surgery in a public hospital:

• you can generally choose which doctor will treat you, however if your chosen doctor is unavailable a suitably qualified doctor will provide your treatment
• your chosen doctor will provide medical care with no out-of-pocket expense.

As an elective surgery patient you can choose to use your private health insurance at any stage during your hospital journey, from the time of referral, through to the day of admission, and in some cases while you are in the hospital after treatment has started.

Benefits available to privately insured patients

Private rooms

Although you may request and will have preferential access to a single room, we cannot guarantee single room availability as these are first allocated based on clinical need.

Additional private patient incentives

Benefits vary slightly across our hospitals however all private patients receive free:

• television rental, or access to the Patient Entertainment System at Fiona Stanley Hospital
• daily newspaper
• visitor meal voucher
• toiletries pack.

A daily car parking voucher is also provided for private patients at Fiona Stanley and Fremantle hospitals.

If you receive an invoice

You may receive accounts after your hospital stay. Please complete the Medicare forms that will be attached to these accounts and send to Medicare for processing.

Contact us

For more information about the benefits of using your private health insurance at this hospital, please contact the following staff.

Fiona Stanley Hospital
Compensable Patient Liaison Officer
Phone:  6152 3710
Email: fsh.revenue@health.wa.gov.au

Fremantle Hospital
Private Patient Liaison Officer
Phone: 9431 2570
Mobile: 0404 844 210
Fax: 9431 2123
Email: PPLOFH@health.wa.gov.au

Rockingham Peel Group
Private Patient Liaison Officer
Monday to Friday
Phone: 9599 4382
Email:  rpg.pplo@health.wa.gov.au

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