Information for GPs
Medicare Rebates
Medicare Individual Rebates
Clinical psychologist $145.25
General Psychologist $98.97
Rebates are deducted from each psychology session fee for 10 sessions per calendar year.
Medicare Group Rebates
$36.00 – $66.00
The 10 Group Sessions are in addition to individual sessions when referred.
We bulk-bill group sessions.
Session Fees
The clinical psychology rebate is $145.25 per session.
The first session is bulk billed and then will revert to one of the following fees with a valid referral:
Standard out-of-pocket expense is $124.75
This remains below the APS National Schedule of Recommended Fees, and we work hard to keep it as low as possible.
The discounted out-of-pocket expense is $54.75
Offered to low-income students, part-time or minimal employment, parental leave, and low-income clients.
Bulk billing is at no cost to the individual and is fully subsidised under Medicare. Bulk Billing is available on a limited basis.
Medicare Group Psychology at Cetas Psychology
$36.00 – $66.00 we bulk-bill group sessions, so these are at no cost to the individual.
How many sessions can my patient access?
In a calendar year, from January 1st to December 31st, your patient can receive
up to 10 individual sessions and
up to 10 group sessions
Medicare-rebated psychological therapies and Focused Psychological Services.
Individual Sessions
Psychological Sessions are typically referred in two parts:
Initial Referral
The maximum number of sessions you can include on an initial referral is six (6).
After the number of referred sessions is exhausted, the patient must return to you for a referral review.
Referral Review
The maximum number of sessions you can include on a MHCP review referral is four (4)
Patients can have more than 10 sessions; however, the rebate will not apply to more than 10 sessions in a calendar year, and they will pay out of pocket.
Group Sessions
Patients can receive 10 group sessions and individual therapy in a calendar year.
Only one referral is required to access the full 10 sessions for the year.
Group sessions are always bulk-billed at Cetas Psychology and are a no-cost way to supplement individual therapy for patients.
Mental Health Treatment Plans are not
the same as psychology referrals
Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP):
Purpose: Detailed assessment of mental health needs, setting goals, and formulating strategies.
Content: Contains patient information and multiple treatment interventions such as psychiatry and psychology.
Expiry: should generally not be prepared within 12 months of the previous plan, unless there is a significant change in the client's circumstances or clinical need.
Psychology Referral:
Purpose: A formal request for a patient to receive a psychological treatment.
Content: Specifies the number of sessions authorised (e.g., 6, 4, or 10 for group sessions).
Expiry: There is no requirement to wait 12 months between referrals for sessions. Referrals can be issued at any time within the calendar year, as long as the annual cap is not exceeded.
Requirement: Necessary to claim Medicare rebates for sessions.
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The maximum limit for each course treatment is:
a maximum of 6 services for the initial course of treatment
the remaining services for subsequent courses of treatment, up to the maximum of 10 services per calendar year
In addition, up to 10 group therapy mental health treatment services in any one referral.
🔗 Refer to Better Access sessions and limits
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Referrals are valid for the number of services shown on the referral.
If your patient has unused services on their referral at the end of the calendar year, they can use them the next year, but they will count towards the new year’s claiming limit.
🔗 See referral validity on Services Australia
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No. A referral remains valid for the number of services stated even if the year ends. Unused sessions can be used the following year but will count toward that year’s Medicare claiming limits.
🔗 See referral validity on Services Australia -
A minimum of 3 months is usually required between referrals. You do not need to wait for 12 months after the initial referral to refer again.
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There’s no formal form required. A signed and dated letter should include:
Patient’s name, date of birth and address
Symptoms or diagnosis
Current medications (if applicable)
Number of treatment services referred for
A statement that the patient has a MHTP or PAMP prepared.
🔗 Referral format – Services Australia guidance
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Allied health practitioners must send a written report to the referring GP after completing each course of treatment. This report should include:
Assessment findings
Treatments provided
• Recommendations for future care
GPs should expect these reports to support ongoing patient management.
🔗 Reporting requirements – Official guidance -
Yes. Better Access services can be delivered via telehealth where clinically appropriate, allowing Medicare benefits for individual and group services delivered remotely.
🔗 Official info on telehealth under Better Access -
GPs can use the MBS items online checker in HPOS or contact Services Australia to confirm patient eligibility, item numbers claimed, and how many services have already been accessed in the year.
🔗 MBS items online checker (HPOS)
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To be eligible, a patient must both have a mental health condition and be likely to benefit from a structured approach to manage their needs.
The Better Access initiative enables access to psychological treatment for high prevalence mild to moderate mental health conditions. The conditions classified as mental disorders under the Better Access Initiative are informed by the World Health Organisation, 1996, Diagnostic and Management Guidelines for Mental Disorders in Primary Care: ICD-10 Chapter V Primary Care Version. For the purposes of these items, dementia, delirium, tobacco use disorder and mental retardation are not regarded as a mental disorder. Please note that Personality disorders are also not included in the ICD-10 primary care version.
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Alcohol use disorder
Adjustment disorder
Anxiety Disorders
Attention deficit disorder
Bereavement disorder
Bipolar disorder
Chronic fatigue
Conduct disorder
Co-occurring anxiety and depression
Depression
Dissociative disorders
Substance use disorders (excluding tobacco use disorder)
Eating disorders
Mental disorder, not otherwise specified
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychotic disorders
Schizophrenia
Sexual disorders
Sleep problems
Unexplained physical complaints
Before you go…
The above has been adapted from the below sources
Mental Health Care Plans for Professionals
Gpmhsc
Allied health referrals for mental health treatment services
This site page was last updated 13/01/2026. Please refer to the above links for the latest and most accurate information.