Medicare and private health insurance rebates do not apply to treatment at this practice. With that said, the cost of a cosmetic procedure in Brisbane is never one number. A quote is assembled from several separate fees: the doctor’s fee, the hospital or day facility fee, the anaesthetist’s fee, any implants or consumables used, your pre-procedure tests, and the follow-up reviews afterwards. Two clinics quoting the same named procedure can land thousands of dollars apart because of what sits inside those lines, not because one has simply put its prices up.
Key takeaways
- A cosmetic surgery quote is normally five or six separate fees, paid to more than one party.
- Time in theatre is the single biggest variable. A ninety-minute procedure and a four-hour procedure use the same hospital at very different totals.
- Medicare and private health insurance rebates do not apply to treatment at this practice, so no item number reduces what you pay here.
- The consultation fee at Brisbane Cosmetic Clinic covers both consultations required before a procedure, and it is not credited toward the cost of surgery.
- Ask for the quote in writing and itemised before you commit to a date.
- Budget beyond the quote: time away from work, garments, medications, and travel to Annerley for reviews.
What a Brisbane quote is made of
Brisbane Cosmetic Clinic operates from Annerley, roughly ten minutes south of the CBD, and our rooms are consulting rooms. Procedures are performed in an accredited hospital, not here. That structure explains most of the confusion people have about pricing, because the money does not all go to one place.
A typical quote breaks into these components.
- The doctor’s fee. The fee for performing the procedure itself, set by complexity and the time it takes, not by a flat rate per procedure name.
- The hospital or day facility fee. Charged by the hospital, generally by the hour or by the session, and higher again if you stay overnight rather than going home the same day.
- The anaesthetist’s fee. A separate account from a separate practitioner, driven mainly by how long you are under anaesthesia. The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists publishes general patient information on anaesthesia that is worth reading before you ask about this line.
- Implants, devices and consumables. Breast implants are the obvious example, but dressings, drains and the sutures used also sit here.
- Pre-procedure tests. Blood tests, imaging, and sometimes a review by another practitioner if you have a health condition that needs clearing first.
- Follow-up care. Your scheduled reviews at our Annerley rooms, plus garments and prescriptions.
When people compare two quotes and find a wide gap, the gap is usually in the second and third items rather than the first. A clinic quoting only the doctor’s fee will always look cheaper than one quoting the whole day.
Why two quotes for the same procedure differ
Six things move the number more than anything else.
1. How long the procedure takes
Theatre time is billed by the hour, and anaesthesia follows it. A procedure that runs ninety minutes costs less to host than one that runs four hours, even when both carry the same name on the quote.
2. Whether you go home the same day
Day surgery and an overnight admission are priced differently. Abdominoplasty patients commonly stay a night or two; an eyelid procedure usually does not. Your own medical history can move you from one to the other regardless of the procedure.
3. Whether procedures are combined
Combining two procedures in one anaesthetic almost always costs less than booking them separately, because you pay the facility and anaesthetist once rather than twice. It also lengthens the single recovery, so it is a discussion about your calendar as much as your budget.
4. What your anatomy and history require
The technique that suits you is a clinical decision, and technique changes duration. On a breast lift, for example, the grade of ptosis being corrected and the incision pattern that follows from it change the time in theatre, and therefore the quote.
5. What the quote includes after the day
Some quotes include your review appointments for twelve months. Some charge each review separately. Ask which one you are looking at, because over a year that difference is real money.
6. The revision policy
Ask, in writing, what happens if a revision is recommended later, and who pays for which component. Nobody enjoys this conversation before a procedure, and it is the one that matters most twelve months on.
Worth saying, because it comes up in the rooms more than you would think: people often arrive with a printed price from an overseas clinic and want to know why Brisbane costs what it does. Part of the answer is that an Australian accredited hospital, an Australian anaesthetist and twelve months of local follow-up are all inside our number and none of them are inside theirs. The rest of the answer is that the follow-up is the part you cannot post home.
Medicare, private health insurance and item numbers
Medicare and private health insurance rebates do not apply to treatment at this practice. Whatever figure you are quoted here is the figure that applies, and there is no rebate to subtract from it afterwards.
The wider Australian framework works like this, and it is worth understanding even though it does not change your account with us. Medicare pays a benefit against particular item numbers listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule, and those items generally require a documented medical indication rather than a cosmetic one. Private health insurance sits above that: the Department of Health explains what private cover does and does not include, and hospital cover typically only engages where a Medicare item number already applies. Procedures performed for cosmetic reasons sit outside both.
If a clinic tells you a cosmetic procedure will attract a rebate, ask which item number they mean and ask them to put it in writing.
What the consultation fee covers
Under the national rules, cosmetic surgery in Australia requires a referral, a consultation process and a cooling-off period before a procedure can proceed. AHPRA sets these out on its cosmetic surgery hub, and they are the reason the process has more appointments in it than people expect.
At Brisbane Cosmetic Clinic, one consultation fee covers both of the consultations required before a procedure. It is a set fee, quoted when you book, and it is not credited toward the cost of surgery. Treat it as the cost of getting a written, itemised plan and an honest answer about whether you are a candidate at all, including the answer that you are not.
You will leave the consultation with your quote in writing. The 14-point plan we work through covers what is included and what is not, and our consultation guide walks through the appointment itself.
Costs people forget to budget for
The quote covers the procedure. Your recovery has its own costs, and they are easier to absorb when they are planned rather than discovered.
- Time away from paid work. One to two weeks for desk work after many procedures, longer for physical work. This is often the largest unbudgeted item.
- Someone to drive you. You cannot drive yourself home after an anaesthetic, and driving usually resumes at one to two weeks.
- Garments and dressings. Support garments are worn day and night for around six weeks after many body and breast procedures, and a second garment for washing is practical rather than optional.
- Medications. Pain relief and any antibiotics prescribed on discharge.
- Travel to reviews. If you are coming from the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast or regional Queensland, count the trips to Annerley at roughly one week, six weeks, three months and twelve months.
- Help at home. Reaching above shoulder height, lifting toddlers and carrying shopping are all restricted early on.
What a written quote should contain
Before you pay a deposit, check the document in front of you names all of the following. Healthdirect keeps a general list of questions to ask your doctor, and cost belongs on it alongside the clinical ones.
- The doctor’s fee, stated separately.
- The hospital or facility fee, and whether it assumes a day case or an overnight stay.
- The anaesthetist’s fee, and whether it is billed by that practitioner directly.
- Any implants or devices, named.
- Which pre-procedure tests are included and which are billed elsewhere.
- How many follow-up reviews are included, and over what period.
- The deposit, the balance, and the dates each is due.
- The cancellation and rescheduling terms.
- What happens, and who pays, if a revision is recommended.
If a line is missing, that is a question rather than a red flag. Our post on choosing a cosmetic clinic in Brisbane sets out the other questions worth asking in the same appointment.
Frequently asked questions
How much does cosmetic surgery cost in Brisbane?
There is no single figure, because the total depends on the procedure, the time it takes, whether you stay overnight and what is included afterwards. A written quote at consultation is the only number that means anything for you specifically. Published ranges are averages of very different cases.
Does Medicare cover cosmetic surgery?
Medicare and private health insurance rebates do not apply to treatment at this practice. More broadly, Medicare benefits attach to item numbers that require a documented medical indication, and procedures performed for cosmetic reasons sit outside them.
What is a facility fee, and why is it separate?
It is the hospital’s charge for the theatre, the nursing staff, the recovery bay and any bed you occupy. It is separate because the hospital is a separate business from the clinic, and it bills for its own time.
Why is the anaesthetist billed separately?
Your anaesthetist is an independent practitioner who attends your procedure and accounts for their own time. Ask for their estimate at the same appointment so your total is complete rather than approximate.
Is the consultation fee refundable or credited toward surgery?
No. The consultation fee covers the consultations required before a procedure, and it is not credited toward the cost of surgery.
Why do some clinics advertise a much lower price?
Usually because the advertised figure is one component rather than the total, most often the doctor’s fee without the hospital and anaesthetist. Compare quotes line by line rather than headline to headline.
Talking it through
The useful version of this conversation happens with your own history, your own anatomy and a written quote in front of you. If you are weighing up a procedure in Brisbane, book a consultation with Dr Konrat to go through what your own quote would include, along with the risks that apply to you. You can reach us through our contact page, or browse the procedures we perform first.
About the author
Written with input from Dr Georgina Konrat, MBBS, FACCSM, AHPRA registration MED0001407863 (general registration), a cosmetic doctor at Brisbane Cosmetic Clinic in Annerley, practising since 1997. Read more about Dr Konrat’s background and registration.
Risks and disclaimer
All surgeries carry risks. Please seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner before proceeding. For more information regarding surgical risks, please visit our website: general risks and complications of cosmetic surgery
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. A consultation and GP referral are required before any procedure. Medicare and private health insurance rebates do not apply to treatment at this practice.
Dr Georgina Konrat | MED0001407863
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
Fellow of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine (FACCSM)
Registered Medical Practitioner | General Registration
Book a consultation: https://www.brisbanecosmetic.com.au/book-online