Medicare Rebates for Psychology
Medicare rebates can get confusing. Find out what you need to know about accessing your $93.35 Medicare rebates to reduce the cost of seeing your psychologist. Keep reading to learn more.
How to Claim Medicare Rebates for Psychology Sessions
At Graciously You in most circumstances we process your Medicare rebate for you via our online practice management software, Halaxy.
1 - Schedule an appointment with your GP. Make sure to inform the admin team it is for a MHCP.
2 - You will be prompted to upload your referral while completing your online Intake Form.
Alternatively you can have your GP office fax it to us.
3 - After you have paid for your appointment, we will process your Medicare Rebate online.
4 - Once processed your rebate will be sent to your nominated bank account with Medicare. This usually takes approximately two working days.
How Do You Access Medicare Rebated Appointments?
To access your rebate there are a few steps you will need to follow. It is also important keep track of how many appointments you have had as you are not be able to access a rebate if you have run out of sessions.
Send or upload your valid referral letter and Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) if it’s attached to it. It does not matter which psychologist this letter is addressed as long as your referral is current. If you don’t see a letter from your GP attached, you can ask them to fax it to us at +61288231877. You will not be able to access your rebate until we have cited a referral letter.
Keep track of how many appointments you have had with your psychologist. This is important for the next step.
You need to have sessions left on your MHCP to access your rebate. You get 10 sessions a calendar year with a rebate but you don’t get access to all 10 sessions at once. You get 6 sessions on your initial referral and then you are required to go back to your GP for an appointment. This allows them to check-in on you and your progress and will allow them to determine your eligibility to access the next 4 sessions.
What is the Mental Health Care Plan Process?
Attend your first 5 appointments
with your psychologist.
Book an MHCP or extended appointment with your GP. Book this for a date between your 6th & 7th scheduled psychology appointment
Attend your re-referral appointment with your GP. This does not have to be the same one who referred you initially.
Before your 7th appointment send our admin team your re-referral letter. If you don’t get a copy ask your GP practice to send it to us.
Attend your next 4 psychologist appointments. If you finish your 10 sessions in the same calendar year, even if your GP give you a new re-referral for your next 6 sessions you won’t be able to use them until the next calendar year.
Think of the process as a 6+4+6+4+6+4 until you feel confident managing your symptoms independently. You just need to make sure you do not access your rebate for more than 10 sessions a calendar year.
What Happens if I Run Out of Mental Heath Care Plan Appointments?
If you use all 10 of your Medicare rebated appointments in a calendar year there are a few options available to you if you need to continue therapy.
If you have private health insurance you can check your policy or contact your provider and see if you are eligible to claim a proportion of your appointment back. If you are eligible, you will be billed as a private paying client and you can upload the invoice directly to your health care providers app to receive your claim.
If you don’t have private health insurance you can continue to attend appointments as a private paying client until the new calendar year rolls over and you can start using your MHCP again. You won’t receive any money back from these appointments, however for many people continuity of care is important. If you have concerns about finances, you and your psychologists can discuss booking appointments at a specific frequency to reduce financial pressure.
If you are feeling confident in managing your symptoms until the new calendar year, you can cease regular appointments until you are able to start using your MHCP again. You will still have the option of booking in a private appointment if something happens in that time period.
If you are not able to afford non-rebated appointments but need continuity of care, your psychologist may discuss with you, trying to find a government and/or community based organisation to give you support until the next year.
Do I Need to Get a New Mental Health Care Plan Every Year?
No, your MHCP will roll over to the next year. This is regardless of if you have sessions left or not. This is because they do not expire. If you go into the new year needing a new re-referral as you used all 10 sessions on your MHCP the previous year, you just need to book an appointment with your GP for a re-referral.
The only time you will need to get a new MHCP is if your reason for coming to psychological appointments changes. Such as you were previously coming due to anxiety related to your workplace but your anxiety has since resolved and you are now wanting appointments to support you around depression related to a relationship breakup.
The 6+4 appointment process just continues until you feel confident managing your symptoms independently. E.g. it just goes 6+4+6+4+6+4…
Do I Need to Get a New Mental Health Care Plan if I Want to Change Psychologist?
No, your MHCP can be used with any psychologist you choose. So if you leave one psychologist for a reason of your choosing, then you can use the same MHCP with the next.
The only time you will need to get a new MHCP is if your reason for coming to psychological appointments changes. Such as you were seeing your previous psychologist due to anxiety related to your workplace but your anxiety has since resolved and you are now wanting appointments to support you around depression related to a relationship breakup.