How Much Does a Cosmetic Surgery Referral Cost?
Getting a GP referral for cosmetic surgery costs between $0 (if bulk-billed by your GP) and around $49.95 (telehealth services). The cost varies depending on which path you choose.
Cost via your own GP
If your GP bulk-bills: $0
If your GP charges a private fee: typically $60–$90 for a standard consultation, with a partial Medicare rebate of approximately $39–$42 (depending on consultation length). This leaves an out-of-pocket cost of roughly $20–$50.
Note: The Medicare rebate applies to the GP consultation fee, not to the cosmetic surgery itself.
Cost via telehealth services
Telehealth services charge a flat fee with no Medicare rebate:
- Qoctor: $24.99
- Updoc: from $39.95
- NextClinic: $39.90
- InstantScripts: from $49 (via general telehealth consult)
These prices are based on information available at the time of verification (June 2026) and may change. Verify current pricing directly with each provider before booking.
Is a Medicare rebate available for the referral consultation?
A Medicare rebate is available for the GP consultation itself — not for the cosmetic surgery or the surgical consultation. If your GP charges a fee and bulk-bills, or if they accept the Medicare schedule fee, you pay nothing or a reduced amount. Telehealth cosmetic referral services do not typically provide Medicare-eligible consultations for this purpose.
Which is actually cheaper?
It depends on your GP's billing arrangements:
- Bulk-billed GP: $0 — clearly cheapest
- Non-bulk-billing GP: out-of-pocket $20–$50 after Medicare rebate — comparable to telehealth
- Telehealth: $24.99–$49.95 flat — no rebate, but predictable and immediate
If your GP bulk-bills, seeing them is the cheapest option. If they charge a gap fee, telehealth is often similarly priced.
Frequently asked questions
Between $0 (bulk-billed GP) and around $90 (private GP, partially offset by Medicare rebate). Telehealth services charge a flat fee of $24.99–$49.95 with no Medicare rebate.
The GP consultation itself attracts a Medicare rebate. The cosmetic surgery and surgical consultations do not attract Medicare rebates in most cases.
Seeing a bulk-billing GP is the cheapest option at $0. If your GP doesn't bulk-bill, telehealth services ($24.99–$39.95) are often similarly priced to or cheaper than a private GP gap fee.