How to Get a Mental Health Treatment Plan
A Mental Health Treatment Plan is a document your GP prepares that gives you access to Medicare rebates on up to 10 individual psychology sessions per calendar year. You get one by booking a longer appointment with your GP, having a conversation about what’s going on, and leaving with a plan and a referral. This article covers who can write one, what happens in the appointment, how the 10 sessions are structured, and what it costs.
What the plan actually is
The plan sits under a Federal Government scheme called Better Access. It’s a written document recording your presenting difficulties, your goals, and the treatment your GP is referring you for. Practically, it’s what unlocks the Medicare rebate when you see a psychologist.
It isn’t a diagnosis in itself, and it isn’t a commitment to anything. It’s a referral document, and you can choose not to use it.
Plans can also be prepared by a psychiatrist or a paediatrician. In practice most people get one from their GP.
Booking the appointment
Book a long or double appointment and say when booking that it’s for a mental health treatment plan. Reception will usually know what that means and allocate the extra time. A standard consultation is generally too short.
Where you can, see a GP who knows you. The conversation is easier and the plan is usually more useful when the person writing it has some history with you.
If you have a preferred psychologist already, say so in the appointment. The referral can be addressed to a named practitioner, and it saves a step later.
What happens in the appointment
Your GP will ask about what’s been happening, how long it’s been going on, how it’s affecting your daily life, sleep, work and relationships, and whether you’ve had treatment before. They’ll usually ask about alcohol and other drugs, and about thoughts of self-harm. Those questions are routine rather than a judgement about you.
You’ll often be asked to fill in a short questionnaire, most commonly the K10, which is ten questions about how you’ve been feeling over the past month. It gives a rough measure of distress and gets repeated later to track change.
The GP then writes the plan and the referral. Some do it in the room, some finish it afterwards and have reception contact you. You’re entitled to a copy of your plan, and it’s worth asking for one.
You don’t need to have everything worked out before you go. Being able to describe roughly what’s wrong and how long it’s been going on is enough.
How the sessions work
Better Access covers up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year, running 1 January to 31 December. The count resets each January regardless of when your plan was written.
The referral usually covers an initial course of up to six sessions. After those, you go back to your GP for a review before the remaining four can be claimed. Your psychologist writes to your GP at that point with a short progress summary.
The review appointment is a normal consultation rather than another long one. Booking it before you run out of sessions avoids a gap in treatment, which is the most common problem people hit with the scheme.
Unused sessions don’t carry over to the next year. Full details are on the Department of Health’s Better Access page and Services Australia.
What it costs
The GP appointment itself may be bulk billed or may attract a gap, depending on the practice. Ask when you book.
For the psychology sessions, Medicare pays a set rebate and you pay the difference between that and the psychologist’s fee. The rebate is a fixed amount, so a higher fee means a larger gap rather than a larger rebate. Rebate amounts differ for a registered psychologist and a clinical psychologist.
How Medicare covers psychology sessions sets out the rebate mechanics in detail, and fees and funding covers the current session fee and gap.
If cost is the barrier, say so at the GP appointment. Some practices and community services have lower cost options, and it’s a normal thing to ask about.
If you’d rather not get a plan
You don’t need a Mental Health Treatment Plan to see a psychologist. You can book directly and pay privately, and no referral or diagnosis is involved.
Some people prefer this because the plan involves a mental health record with their GP, or because they’d rather not have the diagnosis discussion. Private health extras cover is another route, though you can’t claim Medicare and private health for the same session.
Both paths are legitimate. The plan reduces the cost, and going without it keeps the arrangement between you and your psychologist.
Frequently asked questions
How many sessions does a mental health treatment plan cover?
Up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. The referral usually covers six to begin with, then you see your GP for a review to access the remaining four.
How long does a mental health treatment plan last?
The plan itself doesn’t expire in the way a prescription does, but the session allocation runs by calendar year and resets on 1 January. Unused sessions don’t carry over.
Do I need a new plan every year?
Not usually a whole new plan. Most people need a review with their GP each year to continue accessing rebated sessions, rather than starting from scratch.
Can I get a mental health treatment plan by telehealth?
Often yes, depending on the practice and whether you’ve seen that GP before. Ask when you book, since eligibility rules for telehealth GP appointments have specific requirements.
Does a mental health treatment plan go on my permanent record?
It becomes part of your medical record with your GP practice, like any other consultation. It isn’t reported to employers or insurers, though some insurance applications ask you to disclose mental health treatment.
Can I see any psychologist with my plan?
You can see any psychologist registered with Medicare. If the referral names a specific practitioner and you change your mind, ask your GP to reissue it.
Working with Veronica
If you have a plan and are looking for a psychologist, you can read about Veronica’s approach to therapy or get in touch. Sessions are available across Australia by telehealth, and you’re welcome to ask questions before booking.
About the author
Veronica West is a registered psychologist (BPsychSc(Hons), MPH, MPsych) and Board-approved supervisor based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. She works with adults and adolescents across Australia by telehealth and provides clinical supervision to provisional psychologists, registrars and fully registered psychologists. More about Veronica.