Medicare and Psychology
Better Access under a Mental Health Care Plan
Medicare offers rebates for a certain number of psychology sessions each calendar year, as part of the Better Access initiative. The Better Access initiative covers people with mental health disorders arising from:
To access these rebates, individuals need a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from their general practitioner GP. The plan allows for up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions with eligible mental health professionals per calendar year. If you are being referred by a GP, then they will need to complete a detailed mental health assessment and prepare a MHCP. A longer (double) appointment should be booked with your GP to enable time for this.
Chronic Disease Management
The Psychology Chronic Disease Management Initiative allows a person with a complex and/or chronic medical illness to claim a Medicare rebate for up to five visits to certain allied health professionals within a calendar year. The person must be referred by a GP who is managing them under a GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements (TCA).
Chronic medical conditions that may be covered by the scheme must have been present, or are likely to be present, for six months or more. The conditions include, but are not limited to:
Pregnancy Support Counselling
Pregnancy Support Counselling is available for females with a current or recent pregnancy (within the last 12 months) who have any concerns, such as decisions about the future, adjustment following the pregnancy, or general issues related to a pregnancy. The pregnancy support counselling rebate covers 3 sessions, although you may continue as a private patient, or be referred again under another appropriate initiative.
Better Access under a Mental Health Care Plan
Medicare offers rebates for a certain number of psychology sessions each calendar year, as part of the Better Access initiative. The Better Access initiative covers people with mental health disorders arising from:
- Alcohol use disorder
- Adjustment disorder
- Attention deficit disorder
- Bereavement disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Chronic fatigue
- Conduct disorder
- Co-occurring anxiety and depression
- Depression
- Dissociative disorder
- Drug use disorder
- Eating disorders
- Enuresis
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Mental disorder, not otherwise specified
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Panic disorder
- Phobic disorder
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Psychotic disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Sexual disorders
- Sleep problems
- Unexplained somatic complaints
To access these rebates, individuals need a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from their general practitioner GP. The plan allows for up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions with eligible mental health professionals per calendar year. If you are being referred by a GP, then they will need to complete a detailed mental health assessment and prepare a MHCP. A longer (double) appointment should be booked with your GP to enable time for this.
Chronic Disease Management
The Psychology Chronic Disease Management Initiative allows a person with a complex and/or chronic medical illness to claim a Medicare rebate for up to five visits to certain allied health professionals within a calendar year. The person must be referred by a GP who is managing them under a GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements (TCA).
Chronic medical conditions that may be covered by the scheme must have been present, or are likely to be present, for six months or more. The conditions include, but are not limited to:
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular illness
- Diabetes
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Stroke
Pregnancy Support Counselling
Pregnancy Support Counselling is available for females with a current or recent pregnancy (within the last 12 months) who have any concerns, such as decisions about the future, adjustment following the pregnancy, or general issues related to a pregnancy. The pregnancy support counselling rebate covers 3 sessions, although you may continue as a private patient, or be referred again under another appropriate initiative.