Home » Psychologist Medicare Rebates
Medicare rebates are available for your visits to an Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA) registered psychologist under the Australian government’s Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative (Better Access).
Clinical psychologists at Elevate Psychologists Sydney are registered with AHPRA and Medicare and your sessions with them should be eligible for a Medicare rebate of $141.85 per session as of July 2024 (subject to a maximum of 10 sessions per year).
Medicare pays the rebate directly to your bank account after you have fully settled bill for that session with Elevate Psychologists. It normally takes 2-3 business days for the funds to hit your bank account.
Anyone diagnosed with a “Mental Disorder” is eligible for the Medicare rebate.
Mental disorders for the purposes of Better Access are clinically diagnosable disorders that significantly impact on a person’s emotions, thoughts, social skills and decision-making. Common examples include:
To access Medicare rebates for psychologist services, you need a referral from a GP, a psychiatrist or a paediatrician.
If a GP is the referrer, they will need to prepare a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Please note, all referrals should be addressed to:
Vyda S. Chai
Elevate Psychologists
Suite 11, Level 7
428 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
A Mental Health Treatment Plan is a plan for individuals with a mental health disorder prepared by your GP.
The plan identifies what type of health care you need. Your doctor will ask a few questions, fill in the plan and you will set treatment objectives together. You should book a longer session with your GP to enable time for preparation of the Mental Health Treatment Plan.
A Mental Health Treatment Plan is only required to see a psychologist if you want to claim a Medicare rebate.
In most cases, you are not able to claim Medicare rebate and private health insurance on the same visit to the psychologist.
Further information on the Australian Government’s Better Access to Mental Health Care and Medicare initiative can be found here.