The Australian Government provides Medicare rebates for mental health psychology services. As an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, I am registered as a Medicare Provider of focussed psychological strategies. I have designed these consultations to treat a range of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, bipolar, grief or loss, PTSD and adjustment disorders.
When your GP refers you to see me, you can receive a rebate from Medicare for up to 10 sessions per year. Here is how it works, step by step…
Medicare Provider Rebates
- Make an appointment with your GP for an assessment. If you don’t have a GP or prefer to meet a gay-friendly doctor, please contact me. I can put you in touch with GPs who are supportive of LGBTQ people.
- Tell the GP your symptoms and ask to be considered for referral to a Medicare provider for focussed psychological strategies. It’s important that you are as open as possible about the difficulties you have been experiencing, particularly in terms of your mood, sleep, concentration and the thoughts you have been having (including any thoughts of suicide or self-harm).
- The doctor will ask you some questions and may have you fill in a questionnaire. You can ask your GP to refer you to me personally or to ‘the mental health professional’. When you come to meet me in person, you need to bring this referral letter.
- Contact me to make an appointment. At the time of the appointment, you need to pay my full fee but I will give you a receipt to send Medicare. Medicare will then send the rebate to your bank account. (Please note, I do not bulk-bill and require a co-payment for each session).
- Medicare will provide a rebate of $85.20 for up to 10 sessions per calendar year, however you will need to return to your GP after our sixth appointment if you want and require further treatment sessions.
For more information, contact me.
Medication for Gay Mens Mental Health
As a Medicare provider, I don’t prescribe medication but can refer you to an empathetic GP if you are considering medication for mental health or require a medication review. The decision whether or not to take medication is yours. Some people report improvements after a time on medicine while others do not. Medication for depression or anxiety can affect individuals in different ways, so it is important to discuss the effectiveness and side effects with a qualified GP.
Best practice is always to participate in talking therapies (like counselling, cbt, motivational interviewing, relaxation strategies and narrative therapy) as a minimum for any mental health treatment. Talk therapy is a form of psychotherapy. It is generally always recommended for anyone receiving medication for mental health problems. In fact talking about problems is one of the bases of good mental health. Medicare recognises the benefits of talk therapy through subsidising focussed psychological strategies via a doctor’s referral.
Do I Need a Referral to see a Counsellor who is a Medicare Provider?
You don’t need a doctor’s referral to see me either ‘face to face’ or online over webcam or phone. So if you prefer to contact me directly, you can. I will keep your details confidential and not enter them into the Medicare system. However if you would like to receive the Medicare rebate for your appointments, you will need to bring a GP referral to the first session. Your GP can create a Mental Health Treatment Plan for you and offer you a referral. It is up to you which Medicare provider you choose.
Do You Accept Payments from Health Insurers?
Generally you need to pay me directly for your appointment. If you would like your health insurance company to pay you a rebate for the cost, you should contact the insurer beforehand and check that they will rebate for these appointments.
Rebates are available from the following private health funds if you have the required level of ‘extras’ (ancillary) cover:
– Teachers Health Fund and their associated funds (UniHealth and Nurses and Midwives Health)
– GU Health (must have cover for ‘counselling’)
– Doctors Health Fund
– Pheonix Health
– BUPA
– HCF.
Please note that Medibank Private, AHM and NIB will NOT pay a rebate for any of my services.
The amount of rebate varies from fund to fund and according to your level of cover, so it is best to check with the fund about how much you will receive back.
You can only claim one benefit per consultation: not both a Medicare provider rebate and a health fund benefit. This is the law in Australia, unfortunately. Some people start claiming their health fund rebate when they have used all their Medicare sessions but you can also start by claiming a health fund rebate in which case you don’t require a GP referral letter.
For more information, send me an email and I will answer you personally.