Referrals & Rebates
Psychological Therapy
Mental Health Care Plans
Anyone can consult with a mental health professional without a referral. However, when discussing their symptoms with general practitioners, many clients are referred to practitioners through the Better Access to Mental Health Initiative, the purpose of which is to provide psychological treatment for eligible clients. GPs, Paediatricians and Psychiatrists develop Mental Health Care Plans for those clients; this paperwork is registered with Medicare and then provided to the practitioner. These plans give clients eligibility for Medicare rebates.
Mental Health Care Plans can be completed in the name of a parent or a child, and can be used with any Mental Health accredited practitioner irrespective of the practitioner name on the referral. They provide access to Medicare rebates for six sessions initially. For those who wish to continue to seek treatment, a further four sessions may be activated by the referring practitioner (e.g. GP). A rebate can be claimed for a maximum of 10 sessions per calendar year. Mental Health Care Plans do not expire, unused sessions roll over into the new calendar year(s) (however, the maximum number of rebates per year still applies).
Rebates
Clients who are referred from a GP, Paediatrician or Psychiatrist with a Mental Health Care Plan and see one of our clinicians are eligible to receive a Medicare rebate. Rebates can be processed on the spot where the appropriate referral is provided, however, please note if eligible paperwork is not available at the time of the consult the rebate can be processed at a later time or via online claiming. Rebates are a partial reimbursement of fees but do not cover the full fee.
Private health insurance providers also rebates depending on type of cover. Any cover which includes psychology or occupational therapy will attract a rebate for our associated services. Please contact your provider for details. However, please note private health rebates cannot be used in conjunction with Medicare rebates for the same session (i.e. one or the other may be used).
Telehealth appointments are available, the Medicare system will now provide rebates for a number of consultations for those residing in metropolitan areas was well as an area classed as rural and remote. We do note our clinicians do not recommend Telehealth appointments for those under 15 years, however, parenting support can be delivered this way. Please contact us if you wish to discuss this further. Those living in rural and remote locations click here for information on Telehealth services.
Dr Nicole Williams, Dr Katherine Reynolds and Dr Kim Tomlian provide Non-directive Pregnancy Counselling with Medicare rebates. These rebates are available with a referral from a doctor (including obstetricians) for individuals who have been pregnant in the past 12 months. Three sessions with these rebates are available without a Mental Health Care Plan. (Please note, however, the rebates are lower than with Mental Health Care Plans. Please click here for more details or contact reception.)
NDIS
Please note, unfortunately we are not able to see clients using direct NDIS funding due to their limit on fees. (Clients who are “self-managed” under NDIS may be an exception, please contact reception for further information.)
Costs
Our costs remain significantly lower than that recommended by the Australian Psychological Society. For more information contact reception@paediatricperinatal.com.au or 7228 5363.
Please note that we are not a crisis service and many practitioners are not in the office every weekday. Whilst client care is important to us, due to the nature of our work practitioners may not be able to respond to calls or emails within a short timeframe. When contact outside of sessions is undertaken a charge is applied to phone calls over 5 minutes, lengthy email exchanges, letter or report writing reflective of the usual session fee. We appreciate your understanding.
Children of Separated Parents
If you are booking an appointment for a child, please note you will be asked whether any court orders exist regarding the care of that child. It is our legal responsibility to follow court orders. Therefore, where orders exist we require a copy of the order prior to the child's attendance. For clarification please contact reception.
Legal Reports
It is practice policy that we do not provide court reports. Please use your search engine or the Australian Psychological Society's Find A Psychologist online service to find local psychologists with forensic interests if you are seeking a report for court.
Contact Us