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Fees and consent

Informed financial consent for anaesthetists, made simple

Patients want to know what their anaesthetic will cost before the day of surgery. Ask Elsie helps anaesthetic practices prepare an accurate estimate, send it privately and keep a clear record of what the patient saw and how they responded.

A patient's anaesthetic fee estimate on a phone

Why the estimate matters

Anaesthetic fees often arrive separately from the surgeon's and hospital's, so they can surprise patients. A clear estimate before surgery lets patients plan, ask questions early and avoid a difficult conversation after the procedure.

Ask Elsie keeps the decisions with your practice: you choose the fees, how they're explained and when they're sent.

Accurate to the cent

Each estimate is calculated by fixed rules from the anaesthetist's own fee profiles and any surgeon-specific rules, with the MBS catalogue at hand. Automation never sets a fee.

  • Fee profiles for each anaesthetist
  • MBS items and anaesthesia time units worked out the same way every time
  • Unknown amounts, like a health fund rebate, shown as not yet confirmed rather than guessed

Sent privately, answered on their phone

Patients receive a short text with a secure link, never fee details in the message itself. They confirm who they are with their date of birth or a one-time code, then read the estimate in plain language.

From there they can record their consent, ask a question or decline. Financial questions go to the practice for review; questions about care go to their clinician.

A record you can rely on

Every estimate is versioned, and each patient response is recorded against the version they reviewed, so your team can always see what was agreed to and when.

After the procedure, the practice reviews and issues the invoice. Where your practice connects Hello Clever, patients can then pay their reviewed balance by card or PayID on Hello Clever's secure checkout.

Questions

Can patients pay the estimate online?
Where your practice connects Hello Clever, patients pay their reviewed balance by card or PayID on Hello Clever's secure checkout. Card details never reach Ask Elsie.
What if the health fund rebate isn't known yet?
Ask Elsie shows it as not yet confirmed instead of estimating it, so the patient isn't given a figure your practice can't stand behind.
Can a parent or carer respond for the patient?
Yes. Parents, guardians and carers can review the estimate and respond on the patient's behalf.