Yes. We offer Medicare and Hicaps.

Medicare is only possible with a referral and plan from your GP.

Medicare Rebates: If you receive a rebate via a Mental Healthcare Plan, Medicare rebates a portion (approx. 1/3) of each psychology session for a total of 10 sessions each calendar year.

If you require support for chronic disease management, Medicare rebates a portion for up to 5 sessions per calender year. You can learn more here.

Your GP can determine which plan is appropriate for you.

Additional Information: To access the Medicare rebate, a valid GP referral and treatment plan must be in place before your appointment with our psychologists.

The Australian Government provides various options for Medicare-subsidised psychological therapy sessions. At Psychology& we often work with clients who have a Mental Health Treatment Plan or a Chronic Disease Management Plan.

Mental Health Treatment Plans (MHTP): Eligible patients can access Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual psychological treatment services within a calendar year. You can speak to your GP about accessing these 10 sessions per calendar year. Initially, you will have a MHTP allocating a set of 6 sessions and then a GP review will be required before accessing the remaining 4 sessions per the calendar year.

Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDM Plan): Eligible patients can receive Medicare rebates for up to 5 individual psychological treatment services within a calendar year. The individual will need to have a GP Management Plan in place. For the CDM Plan, a multidisciplinary team may be involved in the care of a patient with a chronic medical condition. This team typically includes the clients GP as the central coordinator, along with other allied health professionals as needed based on the patient’s specific condition and needs.

The Medicare Safety Net: provides increased rebates once your out-of-pocket medical expenses reach a certain threshold in a calendar year. This includes psychologist fees. When you reach this threshold, your rebate increases, reducing your session costs. Check the Medicare website for current thresholds.

Medicare Safety Net Threshold: As you continue your journey to better mental health, you may reach a Medicare threshold, also known as the Medicare Safety Net. This threshold includes various medical expenses, such as psychologist fees. As this changes each year, you are recommended to visit the Medicare page for the most recent updates here. Reaching the Medicare Safety Net may occur in the later part of the year.

Medicare Safety Net threshold and Increased Rebates: Once you cross the Medicare Safety Net threshold, you become eligible for increased Medicare rebates. Instead of the standard rebate amount, you’ll receive a higher percentage of our psychologist’s fee. This can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket expenses, making ongoing therapy more affordable. However, please keep in mind that you are only able to access a total of 10 sessions under the MHTP per calendar year.

Medicare covers up to 10 individual sessions with a psychologist per calendar year under the Mental Health Treatment Plan. A referral from a GP is required to access this rebate.

Speak with your GP to Access the MHTP: start by discussing a mental health treatment plan with your GP. If you qualify, you can claim a rebate for up to 10 sessions per calender year with a valid GP referral and an approved MHTP.

Your GP will start by providing an initial MHTP (medicare mental health care plan) includes 6 sessions. After using these 6 sessions with a psychologist, you will require a GP review to access the additional 4 sessions that would fall under the MHTP Review.

Start by Booking with a Psychologist at Psychology&: If you believe you need assistance in approaching your GP for support, you have the option to schedule a Private Health appointment with one of our psychologists. During this appointment, you can discuss the process, and if deemed appropriate, our psychologists can provide you with a GP letter to facilitate your access to a medicare mental health care plan (MHTP).

Yes, clients with private health insurance may be eligible for rebates, depending on their provider and level of cover. We recommend checking with your insurer about the available benefits for psychology services.

Am I Eligible for Private Health Rebates?

Your eligibility for private rebates depends on your level of health insurance coverage and extras with a psychologist. You will need to email or phone your private health provider to enquire about your coverage. When you call, you can ask about item code 100 (initial appointment with a psychologist) and 200 (follow up appointment with a psychologist).

How to Claim Under Private Health?

We have HICAPS on-site.

If you require a separate invoice in order to claim directly with your insurer, you will need to let us know and we can prepare and email one to you. The item code on the invoice will need to be set to either 100 for your initial appointment or 200 for your follow up appointments, so that you can submit your claim. Your psychologist will send you the invoice a the end of each appointment. You will then be able to claim directly with your private health insurer.

Our time, yours and ours, is valuable. When a client cancels their appointment, with adequate notice, this session can be offered to another.

Our guideline for cancellation fees, therefore are:

• less than 24 hours notice: full fee

• less than 48 hours notice: 50% of fee

• More than 48 hours notice incurs no fees.

We find that this approach allows for flexibility of emergencies, while also protecting our time.