I was told psychology appointments are FREE?
There is a common misconception in society, where individuals believe either through misinformation or misunderstanding, that having your GP complete a Mental Health Care Plan, means you are eligible for free psychology sessions. This is simply incorrect.
Below
we attempt to correct this misinformation and answer some of the most commonly
asked questions.
Does having a Mental Health Care Plan mean your psychology appointments are free?
The short answer is no. This is a common misconception.
Having a Mental Health Care Plan means you are able to access a Medicare rebate for your psychology appointments. In other words, you will get money back from Medicare after you have paid for and attended your appointment.
The amount you receive back from Medicare is determined by the type of service, and length of service you are offered by your Psychologist, and the type of Psychologist you see.
The rebate charged for a registered psychologist for a 50-60minute psychological counselling appointment is currently $88.25. This means you will receive $88.25 back from Medicare.
Example: Let’s say your
Psychologist charges $200 for an appointment. You are required to pay the $200
upfront. Medicare will then give you a rebate of $88.25. This will leave you with
an out-of-pocket cost of $111.75. ($200-$88.25=$111.75).
So why was I told it was free?
Some people mistaken Bulk Billing for free psychology services. This is another misconception as nothing is free. When a service is bulk billed, this means Medicare pay the Psychologist (or GP or Specialist) the Medicare rebate instead. If we follow the example above, this means the Psychologist receives $88.25 for the appointment and you are not charged, hence the idea of the service being “FREE”.
It is important to note that many Psychologists do not offer bulk-billing so it is important to check when booking an appointment.
Can’t I just pay the gap so it is cheaper?
Unfortunately, Medicare are strict with their rules and do not permit this.
How many appointments can I access with my Mental Health Care Plan?
At present, individuals can access a maximum of 20 appointments in a calendar year. It is important to note that there are periodic reviews that must occur between your Psychologist and GP to ensure ongoing eligibility. This is generally completed after the 6th , 10th and 20th appointments.
Can a Mental Health Care Plan be used for Couples Counselling?
Unfortunately, Medicare are strict with their rules and do not permit this.
I am seeing a Provisional Psychologist. Can I use my Mental Health Care Plan?
Again, Medicare are strict with their rules and do not permit this. However, many psychology practices will set the fee charged by the provisional psychologist to be equivalent to, or less than, the out-of-pocket cost of seeing a registered psychologist.
We hope this information has been helpful and has cleared up some the common misconceptions. If you have any further questions about the services offered at Progressive Psychology, please contact our friendly team on 0477 798 932 or by email info@progressivepsychology.com.au
Further information can be found by visiting the Medicare Australia website at servicesaustralia.gov.au/medicare or the Medicare Benefits Schedule at mbsonline.gov.au
Rebecca Underwood is the Principal Psychologist at Progressive Psychology.