If you’re looking for a psychologist who bulk bills, we can help! Our team of bulk billing psychologists are available today.

There are several aspects of bulk billing that are useful to know in relation to mental health, and using a Medicare mental health care plan.

In this blog post, we will discuss the process of seeing a registered psychologist at The Simple Psychologist with no out-of-pocket costs. We will also discuss other important elements of Medicare, Mental Health Care Plans, and Bulk Billing.

What is bulk billing?

Bulk billing is the process of accessing health care treatment with no out-of-pocket expenses or requirement for you to pay – the service provider accepts the Medicare rate/rebate as full payment for the appointment itself. Simply, bulk billings means no extra cost to be paid by the individual who is accessing therapy.

How does it work for psychologists?

Bulk billing was established for psychologists under the better access scheme in 2006. This initially allowed Medicare to fund up to 10 sessions per year for patients with a GP Mental Health Plan. That number has since been increased to 20 sessions, which is currently in place until December 31st 2022.

Bulk Billed Vs. Rebates

If a psychology provider charges more than the Medicare fee, the session may still be eligible for a rebate. However, the entire session fee is paid by the individual, and is subsequently reimbursed the rebate after the full fee is paid.

Notably, a bulk billed fee does not have to be paid by the patient in the first place at all. Instead, the fee is paid from Medicare directly to the clinic, practice, or therapist that is providing the service.

Currently, this rebate varies between roughly $89 and $129*. However, the recommended session fee for a psychologist in Australia is $267* according to the APS. This difference in recommended session fees, and Medicare rebates, has unfortunately limited the availability of counselling services and psychologists who can bulk bill.

Benefits of Bulk-Billed Sessions

Not only does this process help limit financial barriers to psychologists, but in fact improves availability and contact hours as psychology teams do not have to spend time processing invoices and rebates with patients – they spend more time developing a healthy therapeutic process!

This also assists with keeping the waiting list for appointments low, and allows the expertise of teams to focus on health, not administration!

Availability of Bulk Billing Psychologists

Unfortunately few psychologists provide bulk-billed sessions – instead of charging a fee above the Medicare subsidy and leaving the patient paying additional fees. A Medicare ‘freeze’ occurred between 2012 and 2020, which meant the rebate amount for psychology sessions did not grow – despite the cost of running a practice continued to increase. This unfortunately resulted in few psychologists being able to reasonably provide bulk billed services.

Whilst the situation led to psychologists reasonably not being able to bulk bill sessions and instead charging higher fees, these increased costs can none the less inhibit accessibility for clients to registered psychologists for support.

As such, our team spent months organising the economics and operations of The Simple Psychologist to ensure sessions could be bulk billed, without compromising on any therapeutic factors.

How we provide Bulk Billed Psychology Services

A primary aim of The Simple Psychologist was to decrease the cost of talk therapy and improve accessibility to bulk billing psychological services across Australia. During the planning stage of the company, our team identified a range of factors that would allow us to be fortunate enough to do so; including

• Using telehealth services
• Decreasing overhead expenses
• Streamlining administration tasks
• Spending resources on therapeutic quality instead of marketing

Medicare Mental Health Care Plans

In Australia, a valid Medicare mental health care plan (MHCP) is required to access bulk billed or subsidised psychology services. These care plans are developed with you and your GP, and require your Medicare card information. MHCP can be used to allow better access to manage stress, anxiety, depression, and many other forms of psychological symptoms.

The GP can then make a referral to a psychologist, or you can find a suitable one instead.

Can I use Private Health Insurance?

It is possible to use private health insurance to fund psychology sessions.

This can be a helpful way to cover the cost of therapy, as private health insurance may provide a higher rebate for mental health services than Medicare does.

However, it is important to be aware that not all psychologists accept certain forms of insurance, so it is important to check before making an appointment.

Further, insurance policies can not often be doubled up. Meaning, you’re unlikely to be able to use both Medicare and private insurance to cover a psychology counselling session. So if you use private insurance for psychology and there is a gap fee, the gap fee may need to be covered out of pocket as Medicare will not cover the gap.

Can I Use NDIS, Work Cover, or other types of insurance?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a government-funded program that provides support for Australians with disabilities.

One of the services that NDIS provides funding for is psychological support. However, there are some things to be aware of when seeking NDIS funding for psychology services.

First, not all psychologists are NDIS providers, so if your NDIS plan is agency (NDIA) managed, you may not be able to see certain psychologists with that plan. Some psychologists may be able to provide psychology services with NDIS plans if the funding is plan-managed. Check out our NDIS services for more information.

Second, NDIS only provides funding for certain types of psychological services.

So, it is important to check with your psychologist and see if they are able to provide you with the type of service that you need.

Workcover is an insurance policy that provides financial support to employees who are injured at work.

If you have been injured at work, you may be eligible for Workcover benefits, which can help to cover the cost of psychological treatment.

However, it is important to be aware that not all psychologists accept Workcover, so it is important to check before making an appointment.

What conditions are eligible to be treated under a MHCP?

Mental health care plans can be used to treat a range of conditions and disorders. Some of these include; depression, stress, anxiety, life difficulties, obsessive-compulsive disorder, body image issues, trauma, and more.

What is not covered under a MHCP?

It is important to note that certain situations in therapy are not covered, including but not limited to family therapy, and couples counselling. Also, certain practitioners not registered with AHPRA are also not able to accept MCHP, including counsellors, therapists, life coaches, or any other professional who is not registered with AHPRA as a health practitioner.

The process of seeing a registered psychologist at The Simple Psychologist

Once you have been referred by your GP and have a current MHCP, you can book an appointment with us online or over the phone.

Prior to your first appointment, we will ask you to fill out some paperwork so that we can understand your presenting problem better.

Click below to sign up and make an appointment today!

Book an appointment today on our website or email us at info@thesimplepsychologist.com to see one of our bulk billing psychologists and get started for telehealth sessions today!