Admin FAQ

No, you do not need a referral to see one of our Dietitians. If you have been referred by your GP or medical specialist, please bring this paperwork to your first appointment or email to our Care Coordinator at reception@dietwise.net.au.

Dietwise accepts payment with cash, EFTPOS, Mastercard and Visa. Please note that we have limited petty cash if change is needed. All fees (except under NDIS, DVA and Australian Defence Force) must be paid in full at the end of each consultation. This is particularly important if you are eligible to claim a rebate from Medicare as they will only provide a rebate on invoices that have been paid in full. Learn more about our fees. For your convenience, we also offer on-the-spot claims through HICAPS enabling you to claim your rebate from your private health fund or Medicare at the time of payment.

We are a private nutrition clinic, and as our fees are higher than the Medicare rebate there will be an out-of-pocket expense for your appointments. Our experience is that bulk billing practices offer short appointments with a fast turnover of patients, which we feel compromises dietetic care. At Dietwise, we do longer appointments giving you the time and space you deserve. In line with our Dietwise Value of Excellence, we feel our fees reflect the specialist skills, years of experience and quality of service we provide.

For appointments claimed under Medicare plans or your private health fund, the full fee must be paid at the time of your appointment. For Medicare, your claim will be processed online and your rebate will be deposited into your nominated bank account normally within 24 – 48 hours. Learn more about NDIS payments.  DVA and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) invoices are lodged online by our Care Coordinator to claim our payment.

Our fees are tiered at Dietwise to increase accessibility to our services and also reflect the experience and complexity of each Dietitian’s caseload. Learn more about our fees. Telehealth appointments are charged at the same rate as face-to-face appointments. Payment is required on the day of your appointment.

For NDIS self-managed or plan-managed participants, our fees are $193.99 per hour as per the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits Guide. Learn more about NDIS fees. 

For AIA Vitality members our fees are $35.00 for the initial appointment and $25.00 for each review (up to 2 per membership year). Learn more about the AIA Vitality program.  Payment is required on the day of your appointment.

All our Dietitians are registered Medicare providers. You are eligible to claim a rebate from Medicare for up to 5 visits in 12 months if you have been referred under a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan. Some examples of chronic conditions (present longer than 6 months) include diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

You may also be eligible to claim a rebate from Medicare for up to 20 visits in 12 months under an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP). A diagnosis of ARFID is only eligible for rebates for up to 5 visits under a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan at this stage. We will let you know if this changes.

Your CDM or EDP must be completed before your appointment to be eligible to claim your rebate from Medicare. When booking, please ask our Care Coordinator if they have received your CDM or EDP plan from your referrer. If your GP has not completed your plan, you can still attend your appointment and claim a rebate from your private health fund if you have Ancillary/Extras cover for dietetics.

You will need to make an appointment with your GP to discuss whether your health condition makes you eligible for a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan or an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP). If after your initial appointment, your Dietitian feels you may be eligible for a plan under Medicare they will provide you with a letter to take to your GP.

Medicare rebates are currently set at $58.00 per Dietitian appointment. The rebate will be higher if you have exceeded the Medicare Safety Net. Learn more about the Medicare Safety Nets  or call Medicare on 1800 011 163.

You can claim a maximum of 5 visits with the Dietitian over 12 months under Medicare for a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan. For eating disorders (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and OSFED), you can claim a maximum of 20 visits over 12 months under Medicare for the Eating Disorder Plan (EDP).

 If you have an eating disorder, your GP can complete a CDM first as this is quicker to complete. This will enable you to claim up to 5 visits and provides time for an EDP to be prepared. In this scenario, you will claim a max of 5 visits under a CDM and the balance of visits (up to a maximum of 20) in 12 months under an EDP.

Medicare does not pay rebates for appointments completed before a CDM plan or EDP is activated, and we cannot backdate your invoices. If you have Ancillary/Extras cover for dietetics you are eligible to claim a rebate without a referral until your plan has been completed. This is common practice and a great solution for some patients. Sometimes the private health rebate is higher than the Medicare rebate, so it is a great idea to check and let our Care Coordinator know you want to use your private health cover before your CDM plan or EDP.

No. Unfortunately, you cannot claim a rebate from your private health fund to ‘top up’ your Medicare rebate. As your private health fund rebate may be higher than the Medicare rebate of $58.00 per appointment, it is a great idea to check by ringing your health fund and quoting the following item numbers:

500 – Initial Individual Consult

600 – Review Individual Consult

700 – Group Consult

800 – Mobile Individual Consult e.g. home visit

If you provide our Care Coordinator with your current Medicare card details, we can process your Medicare rebate online after you have attended and paid for your appointment. Alternatively, you can claim benefits online, by mail or at a Medicare service centre. Learn more about how to claim Medicare rebates.

For your convenience, we can swipe your card on our HICAPS terminal to process your rebate on the spot. If you forget your card, unfortunately, we can’t backdate a payment. If you are using the HICAPS Go app you do not need to bring your physical card. Alternatively, once you have paid the full amount, you can use your paid invoice to claim your rebate online or in person with your health fund.

As long as your details and bank account are registered with Medicare, your rebate will be paid electronically into your bank account within 1-2 business days.

There are a few reasons why your rebate may not be processed yet. The common reasons include:

• You checked too early- processing can take up to 2 working days
• Your Medicare card has expired, or the details you provided were incorrect
• Medicare requires more information to assess the claim
•  You have already received the maximum allowable benefits for that service e.g. 5 visits for a CDM and 20 visits for an  EDP in a 12-month period
• System issues

Please contact our helpful Care Coordinator who will check our system for any Medicare error codes against your claim. On rare occasions, human error may occur at our end, and we will do everything we can as quickly as we can to rectify the problem.

Yes. Private health funds and Medicare provide rebates for Telehealth appointments within Australia.

Most private health funds offer a rebate for dietetics under Ancillary/Extras cover; you do not need a referral to claim. The rebate provided by your health fund will vary depending on your health fund and level of cover. You can contact your private health fund and quote the item numbers below to enquire about your rebate on our services:

500 – Initial Individual Consult

600 – Review Individual Consult

700 – Group Consult

800 – Mobile Individual Consult e.g. home visit

For your convenience, we have a HICAPS machine to process your private health fund rebate on the spot at the time of payment.

Your appointments are important to us and have been reserved just for you. Due to increased demand for our services, missed appointments without notice denies other patients waiting to access our specialist services. If you are unable to attend in person, please contact Dietwise as soon as possible to reschedule or we have the option to swap you to a phone or video call consultation. Our Short Notice Cancellation and No-Show policies are as follows for all patients (with and without private health cover, under Medicare plans- Chronic Disease Management Plan and Eating Disorder Plan, and NDIS).

Short Notice Cancellation Policy

 If your appointment is cancelled within 24 hours of your appointment time, 50% of the fee will be charged

No-Show Policy

 If your appointment is missed with no attempt to contact us (by phone or email) within 24 hours of your appointment time, 100% of the fee will be charged. We have an answering machine if you ring after hours

​We understand that in some circumstances short notice may be unavoidable due to illness or unplanned emergencies. In these cases, please contact us as soon as possible to ensure a cancellation fee is not unfairly applied. Please note that a rebate for missed appointments or late cancellations cannot be claimed through Medicare or private health funds and must be paid within 7 days.