New Patient Orientation

Dear Prospective Patient:
Thank you for seeing Dr Schuyler Tan who is a consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Tan aspires to provide the best quality psychiatric care to all his patients hence the need for this notice. The following are important information that you need to be aware of before seeing Dr Schuyler Tan.
  • Please note that this practice is online-only. All consults must include both video and audio feeds.
Please click on the following link to book your appointment. https://squareup.com/appointments/book/65g7l37r7b9zk1/LJZQ2N6B41ZG3/services Please start your booking by signing in. Enter your mobile number and you will be sent an SMS with a code to login. You will need to complete the registration process and register a credit card. You can then proceed to booking your appointment. This allows for seamless payment to be made after the consult and forwarding to Medicare for processing of the rebate. Please ensure that you have adequate funds on your card at the time of consultation.
Here is the link to the online consulting room. https://zoom.us/j/9967342009?pwd=LytmUm1tMGtuTEIyL0dEdysrZlNUdz09
 Meeting ID: 996 734 2009
 Password: 914042
  • The following are important information that you need to be aware of before seeing Dr Schuyler Tan. Please do not proceed with booking if you are after a one-off (item 291) consultation. Dr Tan does not delegate stimulant prescribing to GPs. Reports do not form part of the assessment and carry a separate charge.
  • Medicare rebates have not kept up with the cost of maintaining practice hence there remains an out-of-pocket cost. Medicare, however, offers a Safety Net depending on your individual or family circumstances. Ensure that you or your family are registered for the Safety Net which allows you to claim a higher rebate from Medicare when the safety net threshold is reached. Be aware that the Medicare Safety Net resets at the end of each calendar year. You can check this via your myGov account. Your claim will be electronically submitted to Medicare on the same date of payment, and you should receive your rebate in a few days’ time from Medicare.
  • Specialist referrals from your General Practitioner (GP) last for 12 months unless otherwise stated. Some GPs are happy to provide referrals for an indefinite period if ongoing care beyond 12 months is required. It is important that you are aware of the referral dates as it is illegal for medical practitioners to backdate referrals. If your referral is expired at the time of consultation, you will be liable for the full cost of the consultation without the benefit of the Medicare rebate.
  • Private health funds do not provide rebates for outpatient specialist appointments. Patients who are not residents of Australia can usually obtain rebates depending on their insurance cover.
  • Regardless of your previous diagnoses with other psychiatrists, Dr Tan will need to verify and make his own independent assessment. You may forward relevant documentation prior to your appointment.
  • Dr Tan is happy to refer to another psychiatrist for a 2nd or 3rd opinion if there is any disagreement regarding diagnosis or proposed treatment.
  • Information provided during the consultation is confidential. However, be aware that courts may request clinical notes and the limits of confidentiality can be overridden if there is a risk of harm to yourself or others. Child Protection Services also have overarching powers with respect to confidentiality when a child is deemed at risk.
  • Private psychiatric services have limited capacity to attend to psychiatric emergencies. If there is an emergency and/or it is after hours, you/your carer must contact the relevant public mental health service. ( http://www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealthservices/adult/index.htm ). Dr Tan is happy to be contacted by professionals and will provide relevant information as requested with your consent.
  • If you are flexible with your time and would like to go on a cancellation list, book your appointment online and inform Dr Tan. Your appointment will then be moved to an earlier date if a cancellation occurs. If you decline an appointment whilst being on the cancellation list, you will need to go online and book a new appointment as your original appointment will most likely have been taken.
  • Note that you will be liable for the full cost of the session without any Medicare rebate if you cancel less than 48 hours before the appointment. No shows will attract the same cost.
  • SMS and email reminders are automatically sent out 72 hours prior to your appointments. An email is sent 24 hours prior, and an SMS is sent an hour before your appointment. These are courtesy reminders. It is your responsibility to keep track of your appointments. It is also your responsibility to update Dr Tan with your current address, mobile phone number and E-mail address.
  • Dr Tan is unable able to provide scripts outside of a consultation. Remember to inform Dr Tan of your script or paperwork requirements at the start of the consultation. If you are on a Schedule 8 medication that requires an authority such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Ritalin LA, Concerta) or dexamfetamine/lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse), you must schedule your appointment within a week of you running out of your medication. Otherwise, it will not be possible to obtain an approval number from PBS.
  • Scripts are now provided electronically direct to patients. In order for you to receive an electronic script, you will need to have an Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) number. (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individual-healthcare-identifiers). You will receive a QR code via email which you then present to your pharmacy. This QR code can only be used once, and you must ensure that your pharmacy sends you a new QR code for any repeat prescriptions.
  • Reports and certificates requested outside of consults will incur a fee plus GST. The fee is set at 15-minute blocks. Reports and certificates will only be sent out after the invoice is paid.
  • Be aware that notes created during the course of the consultation/session remain the property of Dr Tan. Patients who later request a copy of their full/partial records will need to pay for the administrative costs associated with preparing their records. Be aware that correspondence from other professionals remain the property of the respective professionals and patients will need to request those records from the relevant professional.
For patients requiring private hospital admission:
  • Dr Tan does not participate in private health insurance gap schemes.
  • Medicare and private health funds do not provide a rebate for inpatient telehealth services.
  • Payment for inpatient consultations is due at the time of consultation and will be charged to your registered credit card. Ensure that there are adequate funds on your card at the time of consultation. If the session is Medicare/health fund-eligible, it will automatically be sent to Medicare/health fund for processing via the ECLIPSE system. Rebates will vary depending on health fund coverage.
  • Note that the Medicare Safety Net does not apply to inpatient consultations.
  • You need to be aware that diagnostic tests such as blood tests, X-rays, brain scans, treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and pharmacy prescriptions may attract a fee from the relevant company providing the service. Check with your private health fund before undergoing these tests/procedures to avoid unexpected bills. It may also be helpful to bring in your own supply of medications as the hospital may stock a different brand and insurance companies may not fund non-psychiatric medications during your stay.
  • Private health funds have individual contracts with each private hospital regarding the specifics of cover. The range of cover can vary over time, and it would be wise to ask your health fund and confirm this with the hospital intake officer before coming to the hospital.
  • The hospital will have rules such as appropriate clothing, length of charging cables, etc. that are allowed. Please ask the intake officer for an orientation.
  • Dr Tan will discuss with you and come to an agreement with you regarding the goal/s of admission and duration of hospital stay. The admission is usually between 2 to 3 weeks.
  • Private psychiatric hospitals are only able to cater for patients who can consent to assessment and treatment. If you become impaired and/or become a risk to yourself or others, you may need to be transferred to a public mental health facility for ongoing care.
  • If you have further questions, please discuss with Dr Schuyler Tan during your consult.
Click the following for the new patient information form.
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