Jonathan’s counselling sessions are supported by Medicare when you have a referral in the form of a Mental Health Care Plan from your doctor. Your doctor will need to complete a mental health assessment and prepare a Mental Health Care Plan before referring you to a psychologist. When booking your doctor’s appointment to obtain your Mental Health Care Plan, it is important to tell the doctor’s receptionist that you are requesting a referral to a psychologist, as your doctor may require a longer consultation to discuss the Plan with you and complete the necessary paperwork.

 

The cost for a 50-60 minute counselling session is $215. Sessions are paid for at the end of the session via credit or debit card, and you will be provided with a detailed invoice so that you can claim your rebate, which is currently $96.65. You can take your invoice to any Medicare branch, or you can use the Express Plus Medicare app (go to www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/express-plus-mobile-apps#medicare, or ask about the app at your local Medicare branch). Eligible patients can generally receive 10 individual counselling sessions in a calendar year under Medicare. Your referring doctor will assess your progress after the first six sessions. Please note that you cannot use your private health insurance ancillary cover to top up the Medicare rebates for these services; you will need to decide if you will use Medicare or your private health insurance cover for your counselling sessions.

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Please try to give at least 48 hours' notice if needing to cancel or reschedule an appointment.