Scenario 2: A gap payment, electronically sent

Patient makes a part payment (gap payment) to the practice and the claim is electronically sent to Medicare Australia Online Patient Claiming.

Reimbursement: A Medicare cheque with the doctor as the payee is sent to the patient. The patient then forwards the cheque to the practice. If the cheque is not presented to the practice within 21 days, the practice should contact the patient initially. Depending on what has transpired, the patient should then either present the cheque to the practice or contact Medicare Australia to have the original cheque cancelled and a new cheque redrawn. The cheque will then be sent to the patient to be forwarded on to the practitioner.

If after 90 days a cheque has still not been presented to the practice, Medicare Australia runs a search on cheques that have not been cashed. Medicare Australia will cancel non cashed cheques and credit the practitioners' account electronically.