Common reasons you might be charged for a telehealth consult — and what to do next:

Possible reasons

• The clinic charged a standard consultation fee (telehealth doesn’t automatically mean “free” or bulk‑billed).
• The practice does not bulk‑bill telehealth appointments, or they only bulk‑bill certain patients (e.g. children, concession card holders).
• You used a private specialist or allied‑health provider who charges private fees for telehealth.
• The appointment ran longer than a standard slot and attracted a higher fee.
• There was an after‑hours or urgent/after‑hours surcharge.
• A cancellation or no‑show fee (if you missed or cancelled late).
• A platform/technology or admin fee (some private telehealth services add a small service charge).
• Your insurer/Medicare didn’t cover the item billed (wrong item code, out‑of‑network, or you reached a limit).

What to do right away

1. Check the invoice or receipt — look for: date of service, item/fee codes, practitioner name, whether it says “bulk‑billed” or shows a Medicare rebate applied.
2. Ask the clinic/provider for an itemised explanation in writing (which item number was billed and why). Say you want to know whether it was bulk‑billed or privately billed.
3. If you have private health insurance, check whether the provider is in your network and whether telehealth is covered for that service.
4. If Medicare was expected but no rebate appeared, contact Medicare (or check your online Medicare account) to see if a claim was lodged and paid.
5. If you think the charge is incorrect or the provider misled you, raise it with the clinic’s patient liaison or practice manager. If unresolved, contact your state/territory health complaints body or the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for registered practitioner issues.

Suggested short message to the clinic “Hi — I’ve been billed $X for my telehealth appointment on [date]. Could you please send an itemised invoice and confirm whether the consult was bulk‑billed, which Medicare item number was used (if any), and why this fee applied? Thanks.”

If you want, tell me:

• which country/region you’re in (I assume Australia) and whether you expected bulk‑billing or Medicare coverage — I can tailor the next steps or a complaint template.