Get up to 10 Medicare subsidised sessions per year!
Talk to your GP about a Referral with a Mental Health Treatment Plan
How do I get a GP Referral?
You would need to make an appointment with your GP or Psychiatrist to discuss a Mental Health Treatment Plan with a referral to a psychologist.
Do I need a GP referral to see a psychologist?
No, you don’t need a GP referral to see a psychologist, as you can make an appointment with a psychologist or psychology clinic independent of your GP.
However, if you are seeking a Medicare Subsidy or a Bulk Biling option for psychological services, then you will need to see your GP to discuss a Mental Health Treatment Plan. This Mental Health Treatment Plan would then be accompanied by a GP referral to a psychologist or a psychology clinic.
A referral letter on its own does not entitle you to Medicare Subsidised Psychology Sessions. Your GP can upload a referral and/or the Mental health Treatment Plan directly via the GP Portal on our website during your appointment with them.
What is a Mental Health Treatment Plan?
A Mental Health Treatment Plan offers eligible clients 10 Individual Medicare Subsidised or Bulk Billed Sessions per calendar year (keep reading for more information on subsidies and bulk billing).
Who do I talk to about a Mental Health Treatment Plan?
The Mental Health Treatment Plan needs to be activated by your referring GP (or Psychiatrist).
Once the Mental Health Treatment Plan has been established with your GP, you have access to an initial 6 Medicare subsidised psychology sessions. Your GP will usually write a referral letter to a psychologist or a psychology clinic and attach it to a copy of your Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Sometimes your GP will give you the option of sourcing your own psychologist or psychology clinic before writing the referral letter. It is good to discuss options around this with your referring GP or Psychiatrist.
See ‘What is Mental Health Treatment Plan Review?’ below to see what to do after your 6th session.
Can I choose who I am referred to?
Yes, you can. Please discuss this with your referring GP or psychiatrist.
What is Bulk Billing?
Clients who are bulk billed do not need to pay for their sessions. Instead, the treating psychologist is allocated the Medicare Rebate as payment for the session. An invoice for this fee is sent directly to Medicare by us, on your behalf, after your appointment.
This means that there is NO GAP FEE for BULK BILLED CLIENTS
Who can be Bulk Billed?
Clients referred by a GP with a Mental Health Treatment Plan, plus a valid Health Care Card, Pension Card and/or other valid Concession Card will automatically be bulk billed, meaning there is no gap fee. The session fee will be claimed, as per above mentioned.
Bulk billing does not apply to after-hours appointments.
What is a gap fee?
A gap fee is the difference between the Medicare Rebate and the Psychologist’s Recommended Session Fee.
In this case, a client not eligible for bulk billing would pay the session fee and then claim the Medicare Rebate from Medicare. For example, a client would pay the session fee of $150.00 for our registered psychologist and then claim $96.65 from Medicare, leaving a gap fee (out of pocket expense) of $53.35 for the client.
How long does it take to get the Medicare Rebate if I am not bulk billed?
At Feel Good Psychology we would take payment from you for the full session fee at the time of your session. This payment would come from your nominated payment method (i.e. credit card or debit card). Once payment is received, we then immediately contact Medicare who will then process the Medicare Rebate into your nominated account.
The Medicare Rebate can take between 24-48 hours to arrive in your bank account.
Note: Where clients prefer to make bank transfers, direct deposits, we would need to receive payment prior to the appointment, as payments needs to have been received at the time of the appointment
FLEXIBLE BILLING
Can’t afford the gap fee, but you don’t have a Health Care Card or Concession Card?
Where the potential for financial distress presents as an obstacle to getting help, please do let us know as we have a Flexible Billing Policy. That is, we wish to remain as true as possible to our mission of offering a Triple A Telehealth Service (Affordable, Accessible, Available) to all Australian; therefore, we would rather offer you the option of being bulk billed than see you go without the support you are seeking!
If a gap fee will contribute to financial pressure and is the potential barrier to you getting help, please let us or your referring GP know when discussing an appointment – your referring GP can make a note in the referral that you would like to be bulk billed.
What is a Mental Health Treatment Plan Review?
Medicare only release 6 sessions initially.
Following your 6th session with your psychologist, you will need to return to your GP for a review of your Mental Health Treatment Plan in order to access the remaining 4 sessions on your plan.
Following a review with your GP, and with your consent, a copy of your Mental Health Treatment Plan Review will be given to you and/or forwarded to your psychologist – this will then release your remaining 4 Medicare subsidised sessions.
What happens when if I have used all 10 Medicare Subsidised Sessions for the year but want to continue seeing my psychologist?
If, after using your 10 Medicare subsidised sessions before the end of that calendar year and you wish to have further appointments with your psychologist, you can attend as a privately funded client and/or, where applicable, look to your Private Health Fund for the possibility of rebates for psychological services. You will not be able to be considered for another Mental Health Treatment Plan until the following year.
Can I use my Private Health Insurance to claim the session fees or gap fee?
Please discuss this with your private health insurance, as the answers to these questions can vary depending on both your Private Health Insurance and your individual private health plan.
Contact Us!
For more information, feel free to reach out via our online form or contact us directly on (08) 6256 3930 — we’re here to help.
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