Seeing a specialist, allied health professional or getting tests or scans
Seeing a specialist with a referral
Your GP may refer you to a medical specialist or allied health professional to get a specific diagnosis or medical treatment. Your GP can advise who you should see.
You can find a specialist or allied health professional using the Service Finder on the healthdirect website.
You can see a specialist or allied health professional without a referral, but the costs won’t be covered by Medicare.
Learn more about referrals on the healthdirect website.
Costs for seeing a specialist
The cost of seeing a specialist varies. To learn about the typical cost of common services, use the Medical Costs Finder on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
Some of the costs may be covered by Medicare or private health insurance, if you have it. Find out how Medicare can help with the cost of seeing a specialist.
Getting medical screening, tests and scans
You may need to access the following medical services to monitor or prevent a medical issue:
- cancer screening
- pathology tests
- eye tests
- hearing tests
- diagnostic imaging scans.
You may need a referral for some of these services. You can search information about diagnostic tests or find a health service on the healthdirect website.