Skin removal surgery is not one fee. It is five: the surgeon, the anaesthetist, the surgical assistant, the hospital, and your ga rments and aftercare. Medicare rebates part of the first three where an item applies, and your health fund covers part of the hospital. What is left is your out-of-pocket cost.
Dr Kumar’s practice does not publish a package price. The five parts move independently, and a single figure would be wrong for most people. What you get instead is an itemised quote at your consultation, after the hospital has checked your fund.
The five parts
| Part | Who bills it | What offsets it |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeon’s fee | Dr Kumar | Medicare benefit where an item applies |
| Anaesthetist’s fee | The anaesthetist directly | A separate, smaller Medicare rebate |
| Surgical assistant | The assistant directly | A Medicare rebate where an assistant is required |
| Hospital and theatre | Westmead Private Hospital | Private health cover, if you hold the right category |
| Garments, dressings, aftercare | Included in Dr Kumar’s nursing fee | Not rebatable |
The Medicare benefits, where an item applies
| Item | Operation | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 30166 | Wedge excision of abdominal skin | At least five BMI points lost, weight stable six months, functional problems |
| 30177 | Lipectomy with radical abdominoplasty | Intertrigo failing three months of conservative treatment, interference with daily activities, weight stable six months |
| 30169 | Non-abdominal skin removal | As for 30166, for non-abdominal areas such as arms, thighs, back or chest |
| 30179 | Circumferential lipectomy | As for 30177, where the excision runs right around the trunk |
| 30175 | Abdominoplasty with diastasis repair | Pregnancy-related diastasis of at least 3cm on imaging, documented symptoms, failed physiotherapy |
The criteria for each are set out on Medicare and skin removal surgery.
What moves the number
- Whether a Medicare item applies. The single biggest factor on the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s side.
- Your health fund and your waiting periods. The biggest factor on the hospital side. Health fund cover.
- How long the operation takes. Anaesthetic time is billed in units, and body contouring after major weight loss is long surgery.
- How many areas are done at once. Combining usually costs less in total than separate operations, because you pay for one anaesthetic and one hospital stay. What can be combined.
- Whether an assistant is required. For most body contouring, one is.
- Length of stay. A body lift is a longer admission than a panniculectomy.
What you will actually receive
An itemised quote listing each of the five parts, the Medicare benefit against each where one applies, and your fund’s contribution where the hospital has confirmed it. Nothing is bundled, so you can see exactly what you are paying and to whom.
The consultation itself is $400, with a Medicare rebate of approximately $88.
Paying for it
Dr Kumar’s practice offers an in-house instalment plan — no finance company is involved. The deposit is paid when surgery is booked, which can only happen after the seven-day cooling-off period has ended, and the balance is due one month before the operation. More on paying for surgery.
On superannuation: early release is decided by the ATO. Dr Kumar’s team can discuss whether a procedure may genuinely meet the requirements, but it is ultimately a decision between you, your financial planner and the ATO.
Common questions
Why can’t you tell me a price on the phone? Because the two figures that matter most — whether a Medicare item applies to you, and what your fund covers — can only be established after an examination and a fund check.
Is it cheaper in the public system? Skin removal is performed publicly where criteria are met, at no cost to you, through a public outpatient referral. Waiting times vary and are often long.
Is a cheaper quote elsewhere comparable? Ask what it includes. A quote that omits the assistant, the garments or twelve months of follow-up is not the same quote.
Can I claim the gap on my fund? No. Funds contribute to hospital costs, not to the gap on medical fees.
Next step
Bring a GP referral to a consultation and you will leave with an itemised quote once your fund has been checked. Dr Kumar consults at Westmead, Penrith and Orange, and you can send photos first. Call 1300 267 726. More about costs. There is background on planning and timing at My Weight Loss Journey.
All surgery carries risks, and individual results will vary. Read more about the risks of surgery here. A GP referral is required to see Dr Kumar.
Dr Rohit Kumar (MED0001630444) Registered medical practitioner, specialist plastic surgeon (specialist registration in surgery – plastic surgery).
