Medicare can be complex to navigate, so we will try to help guide you as much as possible. We will ask for your referals later, for now we are just trying to help you understand the various rules and processes as much as possible.

A MHCP (Mental Health Care Plan) is the most common type of Medicare referral, other types include plans for Eating Disorders, Chronic Disease Management and Helping Children with Autism are the most common. All of these plans require a referral from a GP or other specialist, please speak with your GP to determine your eligibility. GP's will generally need to schedule a 30 minute "long consult" to prepare a Care Plan.  

Better Access / GP Mental Health Care Plans

This type of referral will typically entitle you to up to 20 rebated sessions in a calendar year (this will reduce to 10 from 2023 onwards). Rebates will be either $88.25 or $129.55 if you are seen by a psychologist or clinical psychologist respectively. Apart from the general rules above, the Better Access rules also include:

• This type of referral specifically excludes treatment for couples and families.  
• The first referral can't be for more than 6 sessions and the GP will create a care plan which has no expiry date per se, but they will also issue a referral which does expire after 1 year. They will use one of these item numbers: 2700, 2701, 2715 or 2717; We will need the referral letter but you may also be given a multi page table format plan which is optional.
• Once we complete these 6 sessions your psychologist needs to write a report back to the GP who needs to do a review (aka re-referral). Typically this will take us a week to compile this report and the GP will not be able to issue a first "re-referral" until they receive our report nor sooner than 4 weeks from the creation of the original care plan.
• re-referrals will typically use the 2712 item number and generally will be for 4 sessions (max 10 under the non Covid psychology items)
• On completing these additional 4 sessions we will again be required to write back to the GP which will take a week;
• During 2022, and after reviewing our report and not sooner than 3 months from the first re-referral, the GP can issue a second re-referral under the Pandemic response items for a further 10 sessions;
• There is a limit of 20 sessions under Better Access in any one calendar year.  
• If you have a 3 month gap in sessions, you will need to go back to your GP for a review. 
• If you wait for a year to initiate sessions then you will need to go back to your GP for a review.
• If you see one psychologist for a couple of sessions then decide you want to see someone else you can, but your referral limits and annual limits don't reset.
• You don't need to book an appointment with your GP on the 1st of January, any available sessions will roll over from the previous calendar year.  

 See the following websites for more details:

1. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/better-access-initiative-supporting-mental-health-care
2. http://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=MN.7.1 

Eating Disorder Plans

This type of referral will typically entitle you to up to 40 rebated sessions in any given 12 month period. Rebates will be either $88.25 or $129.55 if you are seen by a psychologist or clinical psychologist respectively. Apart from the general rules above, the EDP rules also include:

• This type of referral specifically excludes clients that don't meet specific criteria for an eating disorder which will be assessed by your GP.  
• The first referral can't be for more than 10 psychological sessions and 20 dietetic sessions. They will use one of the 9025X item numbers; We will need the referral letter but you may also be given a multi page table format plan which is optional but recommended.
• Once we complete these 10 sessions your psychologist needs to write a report back to the GP who needs to do a first review. Typically this will take us a week to compile this report and the GP will not be able to issue a first "re-referral" until they receive our report.
• re-referrals will typically be for a further 10 sessions (20 total to date). 
• On completing these additional 10 sessions we will again be required to write back to the GP which will likely take a week;
• You will then need a "formal review". The GP will review progress as previously, however you will also need a review from either a psychiatrist or paediatrician. If they both concur that a higher intensity treatment is required then a further 10 sessions would be referred (30 to date);
• On completing these additional 10 sessions we will again be required to write back to the GP which will likely take a week;
• The fourth review may then be conducted by your GP who may choose to refer up to the limit of 40 sessions in a 12 month period (Maximum of 40 sessions to date)
• There is a limit of 40 sessions under EDP plans in any one 12 month period.  
• If you have also been treated under either the Better Access or Chronic Disease Management Plans, then those sessions also count towards the EDP annual limits. 
• If you see one psychologist for a couple of sessions then decide you want to see someone else you can, but your referral limits and 12 month limits don't reset.

See the the following websites for more details:

1. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/education-guide-eating-disorder-treatment-and-management-plans 
2. http://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=MN.16.1  

Chronic Disease Management / Team Care Arrangement

This type of referral is unusual. We more often see the forms for a CDM filled out by a GP by accident than them actually being used intentionally. These referrals entitle you to up to 5 rebated sessions in any calendar year. Rebates will be $55.10. Apart from the general rules above, the EDP rules also include:

• This type of referral is specifically intended to only be available to sufferers of a chronic condition requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. Your GP coordinates the care and is responsible for deciding if you meet the criteria set by Medicare.  
• The patient must see the named clinician on the referral, if you book in to see someone else you will need a new referral;
• The referral can't be for more than 5 mental health services but this might be reduced if there are other professions like OTs or speech pathologists sharing these 5 sessions. We will need the referral letter but you may also be given a multi page table format plan which is optional but recommended.
• Once we complete the first session your clinician will need to write a report back to the GP;
• Once we complete the last session your clinician needs to write a report back to the GP
• There is a limit of 5 sessions under CDM plans in any calendar year.  
• If you are subsequently treated under an Eating Disorder Plan then then CDM sessions count towards the EDP annual limits. 
• If you see one psychologist for a couple of sessions then decide you want to see someone else you can, but your referral limits and annual limits don't reset.
• You do not need to go back to your GP on Jan 1, used sessions roll over. 

See the the following websites for more details:

1. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/chronic-disease-gp-management-plans-and-team-care-arrangements 
2. http://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=10968&qt=item&criteria=10968 

NDIS don't fund mental health treatment by default as they see the health system as being the most appropriate funding agency for clinical treatments in most cases. 

However, if you have a long standing or permanent disability, whereby poor mental health is diminishing your ability to function independently, then non-clinical interventions may be funded for a range of activities such as:

• coaching you to help you improve your motivation, focus, knowledge and skills, resilience and decision-making so you can be more independent with day-to-day activities
• assistance to help you work with broader mental health, health system and other services by ensuring the supports you receive outside of the NDIS are responsive to your needs and helping you achieve your recovery goals
• support you to connect positively with family, friends and others.    

See these websites for more information:

https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/would-we-fund-it/improved-health-and-wellbeing/mental-health-supports

 

Self Managed NDIS

We are very happy to support self managed NDIS. We will work with you to track what you choose as your budget for mental health services and put in place the necessary service agreements and setup your invoicing to minimise the burden on claiming back from NDIS. There may be out of pocket expenses depending on which clinician you see as there may be a difference between their usual rates and the NDIS recommended rate. 

You will need to upload our receipts to the myplace NDIS portal to receive NDIS payments back to cover some or all of the cost of your appointments.   

See these websites for more information:

https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/self-management 

Plan Managed NDIS

Not all of our clinicnas will accept plan managed NDIS, but for those who do, we are very happy to work with your Plan Manager and bill them instead of you; There will not be any out of pocket expenses for you unless your NDIS Plan is not active, because for example it is under review or you run out of allocated budget. If this happens then we will ask you to pay for sessions directly;

See these websites for more information:

https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/creating-your-plan/ways-manage-your-funding/plan-management

 

Agency Managed NDIS

We are not registered for and will not register with NDIA to provide agency managed services. This is because it imposes an unmanageable administrative burden and risk on us. For instance if we don't advise NDIA before your appointment that an appointment has been scheduled then we will never be reimbursed for delivering that service. If NDIA reconsider their requirements then we will consider providing services under Agency management.   

We don't have the facility to process private health fund rebates on your behalf. Most funds use fairly consistent item numbers or do not require any specific formatting on their invoices. The following funds do.

 

Thank you for contacting McKinnon Psychology!

 

Thank you in advance for completing our intake form. 

We ask all prospective clients to provide some information about themselves and how we may help. This information allows us to recommend a suitable clinician. It is also passed on to your clinician ahead of your initial assessment. 

Your information is strictly confidential. It is securely managed in accordance with our legal and ethical responsibillites, policies, and requirements.

Please call our clinic on 02 9066 3070 if you have any concerns or prefer to speak on the phone. 

We appreciate your time and hope to see you soon.

Purpose

We are a treating Clinical Psychology practice not a forensic service and whilst we understand the court process it is not the sort of work that we are willing to engage in because of it's intrinsically adversarial nature. 

 

Therapeutic interventions, not court assessments

Research indicates that there are greater gains from interventions where all major caregivers are involved. Hence, as part of our practices, we like to give all major caregivers the opportunity to contribute to the assessment process and, if appropriate, to participate in an intervention.

However, our services do not include undertaking assessments for the purpose of giving an opinion regarding the wellbeing of a child, custody arrangements or any other legal issues. Should these services be required, the names and contact details for individuals and organisations which offer this can be provided.

We are very clear that therapeutic services should be confidential and independent of legal assessment services.  We are protective of the child's consent, trust, confidentiality and psychological safety to participate in therapeutic counselling for maximum psychological benefit to the child. 

 

Agreement

I hereby acknowledge that McKinnon Psychology is a confidential treatment service and not a forensic assessment service as such does not provide legal reports or opinions in children's matters. I further acknowledge that if I choose to engage McKinnon Psychology in any court proceedings, subpoena notes or otherwise engage in any adversarial process regarding my child's therapy that it will most likely have a detrimental impact on the child's trust to engage in ongoing therapeutic services and we will cease treatment as a result.