Rheumatology Consultation Costs

A schedule of fees will be available when the appointment is booked. The cost for a new patient appointment is more than a follow-up consultation. Joint or soft tissue injections and blood tests are charged separately.

Insurance

The Annexe is a fee-assured provider. However, different insurance companies have varying levels of reimbursement. If the policy does not meet the full costs of treatment it is the responsibility of the patient to make up the difference.

It is important to contact your insurer before treatment to clarify the cover.

It may be helpful to know that some patients have reported that their insurance company’s call centre has attempted to divert their care toward another doctor. The phrase that tends to be used is “Dr X does not stick to our fees or, he is not on our list”. Invariably, the explanation for this is that there is a discrepancy between the fees and the proportion the insurer will reimburse; some insurers having radically reduced their reimbursement fees. Furthermore, the alternative practitioner suggested often may not specialise in a specific area of Rheumatology or works well outside Oxfordshire.

Medical insurance companies are not regulatory bodies. The term “recognised” by an insurance company or being a “partner” simply means the doctor has signed up to the financial terms of the insurer. It is not indicative of a quality assessment.

Payment

If you are insured with a private insurance company, the invoicing can be made directly to the company. An authorisation number will be required for this. Otherwise, please make payment by clicking the ‘Book now’ button. This will take you to our booking provider, Hero Health, and should all be self-explanatory. Otherwise, please contact Sally Greenaway our practice manager with any questions.