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Fees & Medicare Rebates

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How to Claim a Medicare Rebate for psychology services

Access up to 10 individual and 10 group psychological therapy sessions per year

With a Mental Health Plan, referral letter and valid Medicare card, you will be eligible for a rebate for part of your psychology session. You can save $96.65 per session with a general psychologist and $141.85 per session with a clinical psychologist. 

 

Medicare provides rebates for up to 10 individual and 10 group psychological therapy sessions per calendar year. 

 

Here's how to access them:

Step 1: Book an appointment with your GP for a Mental Health Care Plan

You may need to book a longer appointment - ask the medical centre receptionist which kind of appointment is best for preparing a Mental Health Care Plan.

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Step 2: At your doctors appointment

Your doctor will ask a few questions about how you have been feeling and may ask you to complete a brief questionnaire. It is best to answer honestly about the difficulties you're having. 

 

Some GPs are more experienced with mental health issues than others. If you don't have a good experience, don't give up - seek a second opinion elsewhere! 

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Step 3: Ask your GP for a referral letter to provide to your psychologist.

Your psychologist requires a formal referral letter in order for you to claim a Medicare rebate for your psychology appointments - a copy of the Mental Health Care Plan is not enough alone. This is not always well understood so you may need to ask your GP to prepare a referral letter if they don't automatically do this for you.   

 

You have the right to choose your preferred psychologist - not your GP, although they can usually suggest a few local psychologists. It helps to have found a preferred psychologist, including checking their availability, and then provide their details to your GP at the appointment.  

 

If you have a referral letter addressed to one psychologist, but end up seeing a different psychologist - that's OK. Psychologists can accept a referral letter even if it names a different psychologist. Best practice is for you or your current psychologist to contact your GP so they are aware which psychologist you have chosen to see. 

 

Referral letters do not expire and can be used even if it has been a while since it was prepared. 

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Step 4: Book a psychology appointment and send your referral letter to your psychologist beforehand

It's helpful to send your referral letter to your psychologist before your initial appointment so we can check it has all it needs to be valid - and any issues can be resolved before you visit us. You can email or fax your referral letter or ask your GP to send it directly to us. 

 

It is your choice and totally optional whether or not you'd like to share the Mental Health Care Plan with your psychologist too.

More information about psychological services under Medicare is available at: www.psychology.org.au/for-the-public/Medicare-rebates-psychological-services/Medicare-FAQs-for-the-public

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Step 5: After the 6th session with your psychologist if you need more sessions your canreturn to your GP for a new referral for 4 additional sessions

With a doctor’s referral letter, you can claim an initial 6 psychology sessions per calendar year. If, at the end of your 5th or 6th session, you feel you’d benefit from further psychology sessions, you’ll need to go back to your doctor for a review referral. Your review referral will give you access to the additional 4 rebated psychology sessions. 

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