Short answer; Kind of, but not entirely.
You may need to pay for your GP appointment to get a Mental Health Treatment Plan, depending on how your GP bills (bulk billing or private billing). Thanks to Medicare, Australian citizens and permanent residents can access free or subsidised healthcare, which can help reduce costs for accessing mental health support.
For GP appointments, where you might receive a Mental Health Treatment Plan: Some GPs offer bulk billing, meaning the appointment is fully covered by Medicare. Others use private billing, meaning you may need to pay ‘the gap’ between what Medicare rebates and what the GP charges.
For example: Your GP charges $78.26 for a standard consultation. The Medicare rebate for this is $41.40. You’ll pay the remaining $36.86.
A mental health treatment plan (also sometimes known as a mental health care plan) is a support plan made by a GP to help you if you’re experiencing mental ill-health. If you and your GP decide that you could use some extra support from a mental health professional, they'll collaborate with you to create a plan together. It could include things like:
Having a mental health treatment plan also means that the government will pay for some, or all, of the cost for up to 10 sessions with a mental health professional or psychologist every year, through the Medicare rebate.
At the end of your appointment, you’ll get a copy of your mental health treatment plan, and it may also be sent to the mental health professional that you choose. Once the mental health plan is billed to Medicare, you can get subsidised sessions with your preferred psychologist.
If you change your mind on who you’d like to see after you’ve already made the mental health treatment plan, that’s okay. You can still take your plan to the psychologist you prefer.
You’ll need to make the appointment with the psychologist, but your GP can often help make this appointment if you’re not feeling up to it. You can also make the appointment online, particularly if it’s for a telephone or online appointment.
If you live in a remote area, it might be hard to see a mental health professional. You may be able to have a telehealth video consult instead, and you can claim for video consult sessions with a mental health professional.
Ask your GP or mental health professional if they offer this service. You can also search the ‘find a health service’ tool at healthdirect.gov.au for mental health telehealth services.
batyr is a youth mental health organisation driven by young people for young people. We empower young people to take charge of their mental health early and often.
The information on this page is intended as a general guide only and is not a substitute for professional, personalised mental health support.
If you need support, visit our Get Support page for a comprehensive list of free, confidential mental health services available to you.