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Payment Options at Sandgate Family Dental

We try to keep dental costs straightforward. Before any treatment goes ahead you will receive an itemised quote with item numbers, so you can check what your private health fund will cover and decide what works for you. There is no pressure, and no surprises at reception.

This page explains the everyday payment methods we accept, how health fund claims work at the practice, and how we approach larger treatment plans. To book a visit, head to our online booking page.

How we accept payment

On the day of your appointment we accept:

  • Eftpos — savings, cheque, and credit cards
  • Visa and Mastercard
  • Cash
  • HICAPS swipe of your private health fund card for eligible dental cover

  • Afterpay

  • Humm

  • Zip Pay & Zip Money

Payment is taken at the end of the appointment. If you have private health cover and your fund participates in HICAPS, we run the claim through at reception and you only pay any remaining gap.

HICAPS and private health funds

Sandgate Family Dental is a HICAPS provider. That means we can process on-the-spot claims for eligible dental cover from major Australian private health funds — including HCF, NIB, Bupa, Medibank, CBHS, HIF, AHM, Frank, Smile.com.au, and RT Health, among others.

HICAPS does not change what your fund will pay — it just saves you from paying the full amount up-front and claiming the rebate back yourself. The exact rebate depends on:

  • The level and type of dental cover you have
  • Your annual limits and any waiting periods that still apply
  • How much of your limit you have already used in the calendar year
  • The specific item numbers performed at your appointment

If you would like a clear picture before treatment, ask us for a written quote with item numbers and your fund can confirm what you will receive back. Our health funds page explains how this works, and you can read more about HICAPS if you would like the detail.

Fund-specific information

Members of these funds may find our fund-specific guides useful before booking:

Sandgate Family Dental is a preferred provider for a number of major funds — including HCF, CBHS, HIF and nib — and an approved provider for Smile.com.au. If your fund isn’t one of these you can still claim as you normally would; HICAPS makes it easy, and only the size of the rebate may differ.

Medicare and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule

Most general dental work for adults is not covered by Medicare. The exception is the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS), which provides Medicare-funded dental for eligible children aged 0 to 17. We bulk-bill eligible children under the CDBS — see our CDBS bulk-billed children’s dental page for details on what is included.

If you are unsure whether your child is eligible, bring your Medicare card to the appointment and we can check on the day.

DVA, NDIS, and workplace cover

We are happy to work with patients receiving funded dental care under:

  • Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) — Gold and White card holders for eligible treatment
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) — see our NDIS dental care page for how we can support self-managed, plan-managed, and agency-managed participants
  • WorkCover Queensland for dental injuries arising at work, where claims have been approved

If you have a support coordinator or plan manager, we are happy to coordinate quotes and invoices with them — let us know at booking.

Larger treatment plans

For larger treatment — for example a dental crown, a course of dental implants, dentures, or clear aligners — we put together a written plan that breaks the work into stages.

That makes it easier to:

  • See exactly what is included at each appointment
  • Spread the cost over several visits as the work progresses
  • Use more than one calendar year of your private health fund limits, where it makes clinical sense
  • Decide what is essential, what can wait, and what is optional

We can discuss payment options for larger treatments at the planning stage. If a third-party payment plan would help you, we are happy to talk through the options that are available in Australia — though we do not push any specific finance product, and there is no requirement to take one up.

Concession and pension cardholders

While Sandgate Family Dental is a private practice rather than a public clinic, we understand that cost matters. We are happy to talk through what is essential now and what can safely wait, and to plan staged treatment around your budget. Eligible adults may also wish to ask about Queensland Health public dental services — those are not run by us, but our team can point you in the right direction.

What to expect on the day

At the end of your appointment we will:

  • Walk you through the items completed and the cost
  • Swipe your private health fund card through HICAPS if applicable
  • Take payment of any gap by eftpos, card, or cash
  • Email or print a receipt with item numbers
  • Book your follow-up or next review where needed

Payment FAQs

Do I have to pay on the day?

Yes — payment is taken at the end of each appointment. If you have HICAPS-eligible cover, only the gap is payable on the day.

Can you tell me the cost before I book?

For routine items we can give a guide on the phone. For anything more involved, we prepare an itemised written quote at a planning appointment so you can check rebates with your fund.

What if I do not have private health cover?

That is completely fine — most of our patients have a mix of insured and uninsured visits over the years. You pay the standard practice fee.

Can I claim my rebate later if I forget my fund card?

Yes. We give you an itemised receipt with item numbers that you can submit to your fund yourself, online or through their app.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes. For everyday visits we accept Afterpay, Humm and Zip. For larger treatment we also stage the work across appointments and can talk through the buy-now-pay-later and third-party finance options available in Australia — with no obligation to take one up.

Is there a fee for using a credit card?

A small surcharge may apply on certain card types — reception will mention this before processing.

Do you bulk-bill any adult treatment?

No — bulk billing is only available for eligible children under the CDBS. Adult treatment is private-fee.

Related information

Book an appointment

If you would like an itemised quote, or you are ready to book a check-up, please book online or phone the practice during business hours. We are happy to answer any payment questions before you commit to a visit.