General Practitioner/Psychiatric or Paediatric Referral under the Medicare Benefits Schedule:
All Psychologists and Social Workers at Sunshine Coast Psychology Services are registered professionals and are endorsed by Medicare Australia in the provision of psychological and social work treatments. This accreditation makes it possible for our Clients to qualify for a Medicare Australia rebate on the costs associated with our services. In order to be eligible for this rebate, Clients are required to be referred by their General Practitioner, their Psychiatrist or Pediatrician. The referring professional needs to complete a mental health assessment and prepare a General Practitioner Mental Health Care Plan prior to the Psychologist’s referral. (Further information on these issues is available below in this section.) You may need to book a longer appointment with your GP to discuss these issues.
If you have consulted with your General Practitioner, meet the Medicare requirements for a GP MHCP and have a valid referral, you will have access to 10 psychological consultations over a 12 month period. Your referral can be faxed to us on (07) 5444 4763 prior to your session so that we have your referral information.
After your session, you will have immediate access to Medicare rebates. Psychologist’s out of pocket expenses are $68.85 for the session and the rebate for a session with a Senior Accredited Social Worker is $79.05. We have a ‘Mediclear’ facility available for you to access Medicare rebates.
In order to determine whether you meet the criteria for the Medicare Benefits Schedule, you would need to discuss your condition with your General Practitioner, Psychiatrist or Pediatrician to assess whether you require the services of a psychologist and depending on the type of referral from your GP, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate. More information is available at the Medicare Australia website.
If you have been referred under the Enhanced Primary Care Scheme, the Medicare rebate is lower and you would incur a higher out of pocket expense. Please refer to www.medicareaustralia.gov.au for more information.
Private Health Insurance:
If you have private health insurance, you will need to consult with your insurer to determine your eligibility for psychology consultation rebates. Most private health insurers offer rebates on psychological services and Clients would need to be covered for ancillary benefits (extras table). Rebates will vary based on the Client’s level of cover. You could ask your insurer what rebates are available for both an ‘initial’ and ‘subsequent’ psychological consultation for 50 to 60 minute consultations under Psychology Item Code 100. The Australian Psychological Society has information regarding Health Insurance Rebates on their website: www.psychology.org.au/community/health_insurance/ .
Referrals from an Organisation or another person:
If you have been referred by an organisation under an Employee Assistance Program or an Employee Assistance Service, you may need to confirm whether your organisation will pay for your session. You may need to determine the number of sessions your organisation will fund.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses:
The Medicare Safety Net applies to out-of-pocket expenses under this scheme. You can find out more information through the Australian Government Department of Human resources website at https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/medicare-safety-net/you-need-know.