For a privately insured patient who meets Medicare criteria, the cost of blepharoplasty is;

Upper Blepharoplasty (bilateral)  is between $3,000-$6,000
Lower Blepharoplasty (bilateral)
is between $6,000-$8,000

Including the surgical fee, surgical anaesthetic fee and 12 months’ follow-up with Dr Cameron and clinical nurse. Hospital and theatre costs will be covered by your insurance, with payment of your excess due or any co-payments on admission to the hospital. Some rebates will apply from Medicare and your private health fund.

Insured Patients — What to Know

If you hold private health insurance, we recommend contacting your health fund before booking to confirm:

• Your level of cover for the relevant item number(s)
• Whether your policy has any applicable waiting periods
• Your excess and any co-payment amounts
• Whether pre-authorisation is required

Even if your procedure is eligible for health fund cover, it is important to understand that out-of-pocket costs are still significant. In most cases, private health insurance primarily contributes to hospital-related costs. You may also receive rebates from Medicare and your health fund towards the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s fees; however, these rebates are limited in comparison to the overall specialist fees.

Dr Cameron will consult with you to determine whether you are medically indicated and advise on the relevant item number for your procedure for you to confirm with your health fund. Our team will provide a formal personalised quote detailing all expected out-of-pocket costs before you commit to surgery.

For a uninsured patient who meets Medicare criteria, the cost of blepharoplasty is;

Upper Blepharoplasty (bilateral)  is between $8,000-$10,000
Lower Blepharoplasty (bilateral)
is between $10,000-$13,000

Costs  including surgical fee, anaesthetic fee, theatre fee, one night in hospital and 12 months’ follow-up with Dr Cameron and clinical nurse. Some rebates may apply

Uninsured Patients — What to Know

If you do not hold private health insurance or you are not medically indicated, your procedure can still proceed as a self-funded procedure.

Quotes will be confirmed for:

• Surgeon fee
• Anaesthetist fee
• Hospital fee including day stay, theatre and consumables

As an uninsured patient in a private hospital, you are responsible for all the costs involved in your hospital admission.

Dr Cameron will consult with you to determine whether you are medically indicated and advise on the relevant item number for your procedure. Our team will provide a formal personalised quote during the consultation process, detailing all expected out-of-pocket costs before you commit to surgery.

Blepharoplasty may attract Medicare item numbers where functional visual impairment can be objectively demonstrated. Eligibility is assessed at consultation and for upper blepharoplasty, confirmation with a visual field test at an optometrist.

• Item 45617 — Upper Eyelid: Upper eyelid reduction — applicable where the reduction is for: (i) a history of demonstrated visual impairment caused by prolapsing upper eyelid skin; (ii) intertriginous inflammation of the eyelid; (iii) herniation of orbital fat in exophthalmos; (iv) facial nerve palsy causing lagophthalmos; (v) post-traumatic scarring; or (vi) restoration of symmetry of the contralateral upper eyelid in respect of one of those conditions. Photographic and/or diagnostic imaging evidence demonstrating clinical need must be documented in the patient record. The MBS explanatory note (TN.8.103) specifically requires clear photographic evidence of eyelid skin prolapsing over the lashes in a relaxed straight-ahead gaze, causing visual field obstruction. Purely cosmetic improvement of upper eyelid appearance without a qualifying clinical indication does not attract this item number.
• Item 45620 — Lower Eyelid: Lower eyelid reduction — applicable for: (i) herniation of orbital fat in exophthalmos; (ii) facial nerve palsy; (iii) post-traumatic scarring; or (iv) restoration of symmetry of the contralateral lower eyelid for one of those conditions. Photographic and/or diagnostic imaging evidence is required. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty performed for cosmetic puffiness, skin excess or fat prolapse alone does not attract this item number.
• Item 45623 — Ptosis Correction: Correction of ptosis of the upper eyelid (unilateral) — applicable where ptosis is corrected by sutured elevation of the tarsal plate on the eyelid retractors (Muller’s muscle, levator muscle or levator aponeurosis) or by sutured suspension to the brow/frontalis muscle. This item is for true ptosis rather than mechanical ptosis due to skin excess (which is covered by Item 45617).

Note: Upper eyelid blepharoplasty performed without sedation and without breaching the orbital septum is exempt from the requirement for an accredited hospital facility under the Medical Board of Australia guidelines, and may be performed under local anaesthetic in a clinic setting.

We understand that navigating the financial aspects of surgery can feel overwhelming. Our aim is to provide clarity and transparency around the costs involved.

Medicare sets a Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee for surgical procedures. However, the MBS fee has not kept pace with the actual costs of delivering specialist plastic surgery care. Medicare reimburses 75% of the MBS fee for in-hospital procedures, and your private health fund typically contributes an additional 25% — together covering only a portion of the scheduled fee, not the actual cost of surgery.

Dr Cameron’s surgical fee reflects the complexity of your procedure, operative time, his level of specialist training and experience (FRACS — Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, PhD), consumables, surgical equipment, the surgical assistant fee, and the overhead of running a specialist surgical practice. The difference between what Medicare and your health fund contribute and Dr Cameron’s fee is your out-of-pocket gap, and will be clearly outlined in your personalised quote prior to surgery.

Your final surgical plan must be confirmed before a formal quote can be finalised and your booking secured. Our team will guide you through all costs prior to proceeding.

All of Dr Cameron’s surgical quotes are based on the planned procedure. In some cases, additional costs may arise if:

Please note that post-operative compression garments are a mandatory part of recovery for most surgical procedures. These are not covered by Medicare or private health insurance and are an additional out-of-pocket cost. Garment costs are listed separately in the cost overview above.

Where possible, Dr Cameron will discuss any anticipated complexity at your consultation. Our team will contact you promptly if any unexpected costs arise during your care.