Referrals and Rebates
You do not require any type of referral to see us. Referrals are only required if you wish to claim rebates from Medicare. Many private health insurance policies with extras cover provide a rebate for clinical psychology services where the Medicare rebate is not being claimed (no referral required, but please check the requirements and rebates with your health fund). If you have self-managed or privately-managed NDIS funding with psychology on your plan we can provide services to you without a referral.
NDIS funding, Medicare rebates, and private health insurance rebates are all available for in-person and telehealth (video or phone) sessions.
The Medicare rebate is $141.85 per session for clinical psychology assessment and therapy under the Better Access mental health initiative. If you have reached the safety net the Medicare rebate will be higher. In order to be eligible for these Medicare rebates, clients must be referred by a GP, paediatrician, or psychiatrist. If the referral is from a GP, the GP needs to have completed a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan prior to your first session, and to have written a note or letter addressed to one of our psychologists, or to “the psychologist” , referring you or your child for a mental health issue (book a long appointment with your GP to complete this paperwork). These referrals allow you to claim rebates for six sessions, then you will require a re-referral in order to claim another four sessions. There is a maximum of 10 rebates per calendar year. Two of the 10 sessions can be used for parents attending alone without the referred child/client.
The Medicare rebate is $96.65 per session for autism assessment and treatment, and for assessment and treatment services for children with other eligible disabilities (or higher if you have reached the safety net). For autism assessment and treatment, clients must be referred directly by a paediatrician or psychiatrist. Different limits apply to the number of claimable sessions depending on the services provided. Medicare rebates of $60.35 per session may also be available for children with complex or chronic medical conditions with an appropriate referral. Medicare rebates are generally not available for cognitive and educational assessments.
Our psychologists are all eligible to provide specialist clinical psychology services that attract the higher Medicare rebate under the Better Access mental health initiative. If you are eligible for Medicare rebates, we can electronically submit the claim to Medicare for you, so that your rebate is paid automatically into your bank account.
Fees
Our standard consultations are 55 minutes and cost $230, including face-to-face and telehealth sessions.
Psychology treatment usually begins with an assessment to gain an understanding of the young person and their/their parent’s concerns, so that we can figure out how best to help and together make a decision about the best place to start. To allow plenty of time to complete this assessment, some people choose to begin with a double session of 100-110 minutes for their first consultation only, for which the fee is $420. It is your choice whether your first appointment is a double session or a standard 55-minute session. The main advantage of the double session is that we can often complete the initial assessment and discuss some recommendations during the session, rather than stopping part-way along and having to re-start the following week. The advantage of splitting the assessment over single sessions is that if you are eligible for Medicare or private health insurance rebates, you can generally receive only one rebate per day, so you will have a smaller out of pocket fee by attending two single sessions on different days. Some parents also prefer this option because they wish to attend alone for the first single session. A single session is generally sufficient for assessment for parenting support.
Some assessment types require more time to complete. These include autism assessments (which require several appointments at the above rates), or intellectual and educational assessments (which may require extended assessment sessions of 2-hours for a fee of $475). Additional fees may also apply for formal assessment reports. We would discuss the relevant fees with you prior to commencing any services, so that you can make an informed decision. Please let us know if you would like us to email you detailed information about the process and fees for these assessments.
Please note that all our fees are less than the Australian Psychological Society Schedule of Recommended Fees which are $311 for standard sessions and $585 for double sessions of this length.
For supervision fees, please contact Dr Suzanne Barrett directly.
Payments
Fees can be paid via cash, cheque or direct deposit or by using our online system for credit card payments. Fees are due in full on the day of the appointment. Medicare rebates, where applicable, can be processed electronically so that the rebates are paid into your bank account on the day of the appointment.