• long running

Bulk-Billed After-Hours GP Telehealth Consultation (for Medicare-Eligible Patients) @ Hola Health

1843

Sharing this as a community PSA for anyone who may find it useful.

There’s an Australian telehealth service offering bulk-billed GP consultations for Medicare-eligible patients during the hours listed below. Consultations are conducted via video with AHPRA-registered doctors.

This may be useful if you:
• Need a standard GP consultation
• Are eligible for Medicare bulk-billing
• Prefer telehealth instead of attending a clinic

Important notes:
• Bulk-billing applies only during the times listed and for eligible consult types
• Clinical discretion applies, as with any GP visit
• This is not an emergency service

Bulk-billed service availability:
• Weekdays: 6:00 pm – 7:00 am
• Saturday: 12:00 am – 7:00 am, and 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
• Sunday & Public Holidays: 24 hours

Related Stores

Hola Health
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Comments

Search through all the comments in this post.
  • How legit are the work sick certificates?
    Looks like multiple days require a GP consult as well. Much more expensive.

    Curious if this is any more convenient than just seeing a normal GP for the certificate, especially as some workplaces can reject them if they know it's not a real/proper medical practice, and an org that does easy certs.

    • +31

      especially as some workplaces can reject them if they know it's not a real/proper medical practice, and an org that does easy certs.

      I don't want to start a whole argument but a workplace cannot "reject" a medical certificate issued by a complaint medical professional. If you've experienced this you should dob in the business.

      • +11

        Assuming you mean "compliant"

    • OP about the bulk-billed offerings and unsure whether you could avail sick certificates through bulk-billed services

      • -1

        I dont think sick notes can be bulk billed as you need to consult, atleast for muliple days sick leave.

    • +10

      Some pharmacies do work sick certificates also, and I think they charge $25 - $35 for the privilege. Easy money for them, and positioned for when a doctor is too busy to grant an appointment.

      Can't see how a workplace can deny any formal certificate, as it is an easy thing to exploit regardless of where you go. A doctor/etc is generally going to issue a certificate to anyone that presents and states they are unwell.

      The certificate requirement just takes some of the ease out of having a sickie when not legitimately sick.

      The funny thing is, that if a compulsory certificate is required by employer, the time off work offered with the certificate could be more than the 1 - 2 days originally planned by the sickee.

      • Yeah it's honestly very weird; AHPRA registered Allied Health can issue sick certs, they should accept by law.

    • +13

      do people still not know about the stat dec? it's free and takes 2min

      • Some workplaces don't accept those anymore. I used to pay a gold dollar donation for those at the pharmacy

        • +25

          under fairwork they are legally required to accept them

          • +20

            @V2L: This is true for 95% of employers.

            It gets "murky" if there is an award or EB involved that specifies it is "reasonable" to ask for a medical certificate.

            I'm a gov employee. I submitted a Stat Dec. I've had 8 sick days in 21 years. I submitted a Stat Dec, and it was accepted.

            Next time HR had no clue about Fair Work, and "a medical certificate is always required". I dug in and emphasised the "if reasonable " term in the EB.

            Local GP was booked out, ED was ramped and I have no prior pattern of sickness. It was not reasonable. I stand by my stat dec application. Got approved.

            This is where the Unions need to get their $hit together. They told me I had to produce a medical certificate. They simply need to remove the clause in the next EB negotiation.

            We have ramping due to people needing to use a GP for a sniffle. So people can't get in and then head to an ED instead.

            Lastly, a Dr will sign off on whatever anyway. Im feeling stressed and will take a cruise for a week. Dr writes "medically unfit for work".

            So the whole thing is pointless.

            Employers…just accept the stat dec (most of you need to anyway). Government and Unions… Get serious with the state of our health system and be like the other 95% of employers.

            • +1

              @tunzafun001: Similar issue myself. I used to use the chemist but since covid I just use the telehealth….yeah it's dumb but its also not worth the fight each time and its definitely not worth taking up a local GPs appointment slots.

            • @tunzafun001: Self plagiarism part two:

              NES precedence means that even if an EA/EBA or other workplace instrument has narrower evidence requirements, the broader provisions of the NES may still apply.

              This comes up a number of times in EA decisions where clauses purport to require medical certificates.

              Nuance time: There may be times that a stat dec or even 'incomplete and bare' medical certificate may not reach the 'satisfy[ing] a reasonable person' threshold.

            • @tunzafun001:

              I'm a gov employee. I submitted a Stat Dec. I've had 8 sick days in 21 years. I submitted a Stat Dec, and it was accepted.

              Not sure which department you are with, but almost all government departments in Australia provide for a limited amount of "undocumented" (you don't need to provide any doc) personal leave, usually between around 5 and 8 days a year. So if you have only taken 8 sick days in 21 years, you might want to look into the EA for next time.

              • @AaronRain: 3 or more days in a row = medical certificate "if reasonable".

                Union needs to address it in the EA / EB..

                • @tunzafun001: I don't see an issue with this, if you are taking 3 or more days in a row for sick leave, it is reasonable to assume you should go to a professional for the issue and thereby being able to obtain some sort of medical certificate.

                  • @AaronRain: Couldn't disagree more…

                    In fact, most basic illnesses / common colds have an infectious period of at least 3 days.

                    We don't need GPs clogged with basic colds (who can do nothing about it), and we don't need people coming back to work sick as they can't get into a GP for a medical certificate.

                    Again, a gp will write one for any reason. They have zero relevance, other than taking up gp time for those who need it.

                    The medical certificate requirement makes no sense in any scenario.

          • @V2L: Self plagiarism time (from last time this came up):

            Section 107 of the Fair Work Act requires that the employee 'if required by the employer, give the employer evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person that' the leave is being taken for the specified reason.

            A stat dec may often do that (and I think an employee dismissed for providing a stat dec rather than medical certificate would be wise to look into an unfair dismissal or general protections claim). However, if there is a decision of the FWC or a court which suggests “they are legally required to accept” stat decs because they will always meet this threshold, I am unaware of it. If you have read one, please provide it.

            • @tolchok: actually the onus is on you to provide evidence or ruling that a stat dec is not admissible as a requirement to take short term personal leave in keeping with the legislation which you just quoted, which would satisfy a reasonable person unless there is reason to dispute otherwise - in which case a medical certificate doesn't provide any higher threshold of evidence

              • @V2L: Bwahaha. Ok, I'll bite! Also, no hard feelings, just trying to clarify what you have written, because there are already too many misconceptions around workers' rights that float around here and on other forums.

                I'll make clear, none of the following (or anything else I have written) is legal advice obviously. That is in part why I'm making "may" statements, rather than definitive statements, such as the one I was replying to. People should get actual legal advice before relying on what a rando has written on OzBargain (including what I've written).

                V2L, you are the person who made the statement that 'under fairwork they [employers] are legally required to accept them [stat decs],' which is not what the FWAct actually says. I provided what s107(3) actually requires - which is that sometimes nothing is required OR if evidence is required by the employer then it needs to be 'evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person'.

                As such, the onus is on you to back up your statement that either the Fair Work Act says that '[employers] are legally required to accept [stat decs]' - or the Fair Work Commissionor a Court has made a ruling which sets out that this is the way s107(3) is to be interpreted. I genuinely want to know where you have formed this definitive opinion from. If there is a section of the Act or an authority (so a binding decision of the HCA or FWCFB- though I'd even settle for a precedent decision from a single member or another court - which wouldn't be binding, but would at least be convincing and could state the law as currently understood), then you may be correct in your statement. If there is nothing, then it would just be an opinion not based on the law as it is at this time.

                To be clear, as far as I am aware (and from looking into case law dealing with s170(3) for only about an hour all up, though also from working in this field for the employee side and being passionate about workers' rights) there is no authority that stat decs will as opposed to may be enough to satisfy s107(3).

                … OK, now I'm fired up, so I'll continue …

                I will also refer you to my quote in the other comment I made (and the last time this was discussed on OzBargain) about even an 'incomplete and bare' medical certificate potentially not reaching the 'satisfy[ing] a reasonable person' threshold. That from Lucev J's reference to the s107(3) requirement in Chen v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs [2023] FedCFamC2G 413 [40]. This was the closest citation that I could find which was precedent either way.

                I also made clear in the comment you are responding to that a stat dec may often satisfy the requirement and (in the other comments) that 'NES precedence means that even if an EA/EBA or other workplace instrument has narrower evidence requirements, the broader provisions of the NES may still apply. … This comes up a number of times in EA decisions where clauses purport to require medical certificates.'

                I am just making sure people don’t take from what you have written that 'under fairwork [employers] are legally required to accept [stat decs]' (which is not my understanding) - or from our discussion that medical certificates will always be required. To my knowledge it is unfortunately not that black and white.

                The ball is now in your court.

                • +1

                  @tolchok: tldr I'll be honest here, not being facetitious but I can accept I may be wrong and this is not my field of expertise

      • How about workplaces not requiring a sick certificate unless more than two days. Then just don't take more than two days leave then you will be fine

      • Didn't know about this, thanks. I was sick overseas whilst on annual leave and they have no concept of a certificate over there. Just did the stat dec now.

        Its a little more complicated now as the MyGov app inists you create and link a MyId (a separate app) before it will generate the stat dec. Took another 5 minutes for that.

        • oh wait, I can create a stat dec in MyGov - no need for a JP anymore?

          • @SlickMick: Yes, it’s free a bit clumsy but yes you can create a stat Dec in myGov account

    • +10

      How toxic is your company that they need you in person, to go see a doctor to confirm you are sick.

      \In my area (up until November), the only bulk billed doctor within 30 minutes drive would have a 2-3 week wait. Thankfully my boss never once asked for one.

      • +2

        Government employees "need one" (read my above posts).

        Governments are about as toxic as it gets!

      • Aus post is also like that too

      • On a sick day where I had a check up my doctor said that I couldn't go to work even if I am feeling better if he has issued a certificate for X amount of days.

      • I've known a person who took sick leave every 2nd Friday. Is it fair to request sick certs, and apply this policy to everyone to be fair to all?

        • So that would be at least 24 days, they would go into negative pretty fast (as the standard is 10 sick days per year), suppose there is personal/carer's leave but still sounds like a rort. Some would probably be coming out of annual leave or unpaid.

          A sticky sicky on a mon or Fri should be treated as Sus, then again a lot of people WFH on those days and take the piss anyway.

    • +1

      Check your EBA. Mine allows a stat dec in place of a medical certificate where it is not practical to obtain a med certificate. You can generate a commonweatlh stat dec via the mygov app, no need to have it signed or witnessed.

    • -2

      Go to work ya cretin

    • I have never had a GP charge me for a certificate. why

  • That's actually really useful for us, a lot of the clinics nearby aren't open on weekends, I'll lock this one in the memory banks somewhere. Cheers OP

  • +18

    Member Since
    33 min ago

    prob associated just didnt want to say

    • +5

      Free is free though…

        • peanuts in the big scheme of things

        • +9

          Which is why the government needs to Simply make Stat Decs acceptable for ALL employees.

          Would also reduce the pressure on ramping, as there is a flow on effect. People can't get into a bulk bill GP, so they go to A&E (which they will be told to do).

        • +1

          By your logic the tax payer has already paid. Better get my money's worth.

        • +2

          I'd rather pay for this than those overpriced submarines we won't be getting or subsidising everyone's property investments.

    • +21

      Being a long term ozb follower and tried my first post. It helped me during after hours and saved wait time in ED for my kid.

      • +1

        Thanks for your honesty. Welcome to the madhouse brother thank you for the post. UGG

      • -3
        1. Urgent care clinic is to ease the pressure off ED.
        2. After hour GP services - pretty useless for most things tho.
      • Don't mind the bucket. Seems they're a loser who spends their entire existence on Ozb.

  • +1

    I just used this a couple of days ago when I needed antibiotics but couldn’t get to a doctor.

    • +9

      chances are you didn't 'need' antibiotics but it's easier to send you a script in 3min and keep a happy paying customer than to explain what you actually need

      • +1

        A good doctor should explain why you don't need the antibiotics and to prevent community spread of antibiotics resistance.

        • a good doctor indeed, often these services have neither the good nor a doctor

    • +5

      Avoid antibiotics at all costs. Most doctors just had them out like lollies for everything, especially the Indian doctors, super lazy. Ruins your gut health.

    • +2

      Sometimes you do need them though. No one who has ever had a UTI would say "you don't need antibiotics" and try wait one of those out naturally. For some people, the symptom-alleviating remedies simply don't work, so you need treatment of the root cause ASAP (hours make the difference to getting relief)

      • -2

        on the contrary and significant proportion of UTIs self resolve without need for antibiotics. and for one legitimate indication for antibiotics there are 10 inappropriate use, which is disproportionately represented by services like instantscripts/pharmacy prescribing

        • +2

          Not my experience unfortunately. Or any of the other women I've known to experience these. And again - once you've had a UTI, you realise they're not really something you can wait to see if it will self resolve. Hours earlier on the antibiotic make the difference between mild discomfort escalating to excruciating pain.

          • +1

            @mathematicalcoffee: if it self resolves you are not aware of it, you only remember the ones that require antibiotics. it's confirmation bias - not dismissing your synptoms, just medical fact

  • +5

    Medicare bulk-billed telehealth
    requires patients to have a valid Medicare card and, generally, an existing clinical relationship (an in-person visit in the last 12 months) with the practitioner or clinic. The service must be initiated by the patient, involve valid consent for assignment of benefit (often via verbal agreement), and be fully covered by the Medicare rebate.
    Key Requirements for Bulk-Billed Telehealth:

    Established Relationship: Patients must have seen a doctor at the clinic for a face-to-face service in the previous 12 months, or be a patient at an urgent care clinic…etc etc

    certain pre -requisites applies for medicare rebate

    • +2

      Yeah but nurse practitioners aren’t bound by this restriction. So it’s Medicare complaint.

      • That is incorrect. From November 2025, a nurse practitioner must have an established clinical relationship with the patient.

        • Ah right didn’t know that. What code is that?

    • +1

      Asked the same thing with my virtual GP, she told this is different and offered as an after hour urgent care services only during non-sociable hours. However, this service cannot be availed for regular consultations like medical certificates etc.

    • Of course you need a Medicare card, who wouldn't have that..

  • +1

    Sunday & Public Holidays: 24 hours

    perfect for a bout of Sunday scaries and if you wanna chuck a sickie on Monday

  • +2

    Looks to me that the bulk billed telehealth consult is for a really short one. There is a separate item on the list for a medical cert : $14.90

  • +1

    Might be useful if a prescription needs renewal before I can get an appointment with the GP. I did that once with telehealth and was scolded about it being inappropriate use - never used it again.
    Clicking on the links to the app just reload the webpage. Cannot find app in Play. Any suggestions?

    • +1

      Does your GP use Hotdoc or similar for online appointments? Often they'll have the option of getting a prescription repeat and the doctor will send you an eScript.

      • I just checked mine and there is a button for repeat prescriptions but it just seems to route me into a standard telehealth appointment.

        • +1

          More money to be made taking advantage of the telehealth incentives. That's shitty.

    • +2

      So, they regard seeking a repeat prescription for a medication that has previously been prescribed by an Australian medical practioner .. as an inappropriate use of this service!?

      • Damn, this was going to be my most likely use case as well.

  • Do you have to be registered to MyMedicare anywhere?

    • I didn’t register them in MyMedicare, so I believe it’s not needed.

  • So medical cert is free or not? I saw different box with $14.99 price tag for medical certificate.

    • yea wondering this also, if we end up going through telehealth can the GP give us a med cert or will they refer us to the payment option for med cert.

      • maybe, the talk is free but just the talk if we need cert it is not free.

        • Worth a try since talk is free. Might as well ask for my anoos cream.

  • +15

    13SICK is a similar service. The business model seems to be that they target people who need a medical certificate for work, etc. but don't want to/can't go to a GP/clinic and pay the gap, given most places don't bulk bill these days and those that do are extremely busy. They churn through the phone calls in minutes so there's no cost to the patient, but they can get through more than a physical clinic and thus earn their money that way.

    It fills a gap that I believe shouldn't exist. We need to fund our healthcare better so that people who just need a MC aren't taking up spots in the system, because someone with a serious health issue isn't going to just call a random GP in another state and leave it at that. Workplaces also need to stop asking for certificates for common colds that knock you out for a few days.

    • +11

      This. We’re need to tax the crap out of billionaires and corporate tax and fund proper healthcare. Including dental.

      • +9

        If the Govt properly taxed the production of LNG gas under the existing PRRT, there would be an extra ~ AUD$20 Billion per year

    • +2

      100% have used the service for many years never paid , got my certificates and scripts and usually a doctor within an hour

  • +6

    i use 13sick, unlike this its completely bulk billed and no extra cost for certificates.

  • +6

    Please be aware there is a difference between a specialist general practitioner, who is a fully qualified medical specialist in primary care, vs a junior doctor who has general registration with AHPRA (having not yet completed training in any specialty, and not yet obtained specialist registration with AHPRA).

    Telehealth corporates provide convenient access to satisfy a paperwork requirement or bridge a gap until you can get in with your usual GP, but I would still book a face to face appointment with a clinic if I actually needed a specialist GP to really put their thinking cap on to sort out a problem.

    • +1

      Not to mention most of these have you talking with a nurse practitioner or in some cases doctors who has AHPRA restrictions in place where there's a lot of restrictions for in person consultations.

      • +4

        All clinicians on Hola Health are fully licensed with AHPRA, Australian-based General Practitioners (GPs) or Nurse Practitioners (NPs) with a minimum of 5 years of experience. They are trained in telehealth and follow strict medical guidelines to ensure high-quality, evidence-based care. You’ll receive the same level of medical expertise as you would in a traditional clinic.

        Yep, looks like they also have NPs pretending to be medical doctors.

    • -1

      specialist general

  • Free Viagra prescription?

    • nah !, they don't and they block while booking itself.

      • what do you mean "they block while booking itself." ?

  • +14

    One might question why such specific hours…
    Glad you asked

    It’s so they can charge the urgent unsociable hours fee (mbs code 599)

    So this costs “you” nothing but the tax payer $180

    • +2

      Wow! What a rort! It's great this option is available for genuinely urgent care, but to see it used for things like sick certificates is indeed sick!

      • +1

        "genuinely urgent care"

        The last one would want to do for urgent care is to call the hotline.

        • +4

          Exactly. From reading the description related to the mbs code 599, this high fee is intended to cover the cost of a GP returning to their practice and opening up for an urgent consulatation with a patient, or for a home visit. Charging the same for a telehealth consult - assuming this is what happens here - is a rort.

    • +3

      I'll make that bold for obvious reasons. costs the “ tax payer $180 per call. A rort indeed, as it clearly notes, "This is not an emergency service". In which case best find a daytime service to avoid the "unsociable hours" rip off fee.
      In short a very expensive service milking the system.

    • +1

      I think the doctor has to be in Australia to bill Medicare.

        • they are one of the few craft groups that has an exemption. for GP services not possible to work overseas if Medicare is involved (but private services are fine)

            • @SetTheFaqUp: Some specialists will offshore reception/admin to the Philippines. Awful really when they can easily hire locally. Real estate do it a lot too, but that's mostly replaced by ChatGPT now.

              • @Clear: Market pressures perhaps? Lots of patients ask to be bulk billed and don't want to pay for those local receptionists' wages.

                • @Melburnian: Finding a bulk billing specialist is a lot harder than a finding bulk billing GP.

        • No provider (radiologist included) can bill Medicare when either they or the patient are overseas. This is audited.

          Those radiology services (like everlight etc) are all billing hospitals privately and the hospital is funding the studies themselves. Medicare isn't billed.

          Private consults can of course be overseas although some indemnity limits this, particularly for those in the US.

  • +1

    $45 for a multi day medical certificate is wild

    • -1

      All these ozbargainers trying to get doctor's certificates for work.. well enough to stay home and sit on ozbargain and nerd out on games.

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