Mental health Treatment Plans & Psychology Referrals
Understanding Mental Health Care Plans (MHCPs) and Medicare Psychology Sessions
We know Medicare rules can feel confusing, so here’s a simple breakdown of how Mental Health Care Plans and session referrals work.
Mental Health Treatment Plans (MHTPs)
Created by your medical professional, commonly your GP will develop this for you, usually no more than every 12 months.
A detailed assessment of mental health needs, setting goals, and formulating strategies that might include referral to a psychologist.
Referral for Medicare-Rebated Psychology Sessions
You can access up to 10 individual and 10 group Medicare-rebateable psychology sessions per calendar year.
Most people are first referred for up to 6 sessions
After these sessions, your psychologist sends a brief written report to your GP.
Based on this report, your GP can then refer you for the remaining sessions (up to the annual maximum of 10).
You do not need to wait 12 months to receive additional session referrals.
Referrals can be issued at any time during the calendar year, as long as you haven’t exceeded the 10-session limit.
Important to Know
A referral for more sessions is different from getting a new MHCP.
You can receive further referrals for sessions without needing a new Mental Health Care Plan.
Why Does This Sometimes Get Confusing?
Sometimes the rule about not preparing a new MHTP within 12 months is mistakenly applied to session referrals.
These are two separate processes:
The 12-month guidelines apply to new MHTP plans
Psychology session referrals can occur at any time within the year
