You do not need a referral from a medical practitioner in order to see a psychologist. The only difference is that there will be no Medicare rebate. If you do wish to obtain a Medicare rebate ($131.60), you will need to book an appointment with your treating medical practitioner and ask them to consider you for a Mental Health Care Plan. If you choose this option, there are important points to note: To be eligible, you will need to be diagnosed with a “mental illness” selected from a predefined list. Medicare only provides rebates for a total of 10 sessions per calendar year, split into blocks of 6 and 4. To continue to receive a Medicare rebate, you will need to have regular GP reviews, including after the initial 6 sessions, and then 4 sessions, so that you can be re-referred each time and obtain further rebates, while not exceeding 10 per calendar year.

You must send through a copy of your referral prior to the first appointment (and after each block when re-referred) or bring it in with you in order to obtain the Medicare rebate. If the psychologist does not have a copy of the referral letter (this is not the same as the Mental Health Care Plan), they cannot legally bill the session to Medicare and you will not be able to claim a Medicare rebate. You can of course still attend the session and pay privately. If you have appropriate private health cover, you will still be able to obtain a rebate via your insurer even without a referral. Medicare rebates can be claimed at the practice if payment is made on the day but the practice cannot process private health rebates.

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The number of sessions offered by Medicare does not, in any way, correlate to best therapy practice. The number of sessions rebated does not tend to cover the amount of time necessary to fully explore, understand and treat the often
complex, long-standing issues that unfold during therapy. However, using the Medicare system can offset the initial out of pocket expense, while allowing you to decide if this style of therapy is best for you and whether you wish to continue privately. Please feel free to ask questions or discuss this matter during the session.