Fees & Rebates
Fees
A standard 50-60min session is $260. Where longer sessions are required, they are charged pro rata. Letters and reports are also charged pro rata.
Late cancellations and missed appointments
Where appointments are cancelled less than 24 hours before or missed, the full session fee is payable and would not attract a Medicare rebate. Similarly, if you are late for an appointment, the session may be less than 50-60 minutes in duration and the full fee is payable. Should the session finish earlier than the hour, the full hour is payable, unless an arrangement has previously been made.
Payment and rebates
Medicare
If your GP has created a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) for you, a rebate from Medicare may be available with a valid GP referral. This referral can be used with any psychologist, regardless of the name on the referral. Usually six sessions are initially approved, then your GP can re-referral for further sessions if needed. Medicare can rebate a maximum of 10 sessions in a calendar year. The current Medicare rebate amount can be found through MBS (the item number relevant to our work is 91167 - Professional Attendance by a Clinical Psychologist, via Telehealth (Video) ).
Where a Medicare referral is used, the full fee is paid at the end of the session. Once payment is received, the rebate can be lodged for you. Medicare then make payment to your nominated account with them. If you require more than 10 sessions in a year, you may be able to obtain a rebate from your private health insurance, depending on your level of cover. You can not claim a rebate from both Medicare and your insurer for the same session. Check with your private health insurer if Medicare rebates must be exhausted first, before they will provide rebates.
You may be eligible for a higher Medicare rebate if you have passed the relevant threshold. Further information on this can be found at: www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/medicare-safety-nets
DVA - Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) cardholders are welcome. If you hold a Gold Card or an eligible White Card, your treatment costs may be fully covered by DVA with no out-of-pocket gap fee.
Gold Card: Covers treatment for all clinically necessary conditions.
White Card: Covers treatment for accepted service-related conditions. Please provide a PDF summary of your accepted service-related conditions before your first appointment.
If you need assistance setting up your portal or requesting a paper letter of covered conditions, you can contact DVA directly on 1800 VETERAN / 1800 838 372.
To claim under DVA, you will need a valid referral (D904 or a written referral letter) from your General Practitioner (GP) or Psychiatrist prior to your first appointment.
Standard DVA referrals are valid under the Allied Health Treatment Cycle, which covers up to 12 sessions per referral cycle, or for up to 12 months (whichever comes first).
Please provide your DVA card, referral and Service-related conditions PDF (if relevant) before your first session so we can process your billing directly through DVA.
CTP and Workers -Compensation
If your injury is the result of a motor vehicle accident or work related, you may be covered by the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA). This should be discussed with your GP. If you have a referral from your GP, contact the insurer in relation to session approval. If you already have approval, please raise this when booking, to ensure that the appropriate approvals are in place. A letter of approval from the insurer for the sessions is needed before treatment can start. Generally eight sessions are approved at a time. Further sessions can be requested on the completion of these. These invoices will be sent directly to the insurer for payment.
NDIS
If you are plan-managed, we both sign a service agreement before starting, then your plan manager will be invoiced the full fee directly for payment. If you are self-managed, the full fee is payable at the end of each session. The paid invoice can be used to claim reimbursement directly with the NDIA. NDIS participants are charged at the full fee rate (above), which is less than the NDIS maximum price limit, so as to assist with budgeting allocated funding.
Health Insurance
If you have private health insurance then depending on your cover, you may be able to claim a rebate for the treatment from your insurance provider. Full fees are payable at the end of each session. The paid invoice can be used to claim the rebate directly with your insurer.
Check with your private health insurer if Medicare rebates must be exhausted first, before they will provide rebates.
Please provide any authorisations required by the insurer for verification of service.