If you have ever tried to figure out how Medicare rebates for mental health actually work, you are not alone in finding it confusing. There is a lot of conflicting information out there. People assume they need a GP referral before they can do anything. Others do not realise telehealth sessions can attract rebates on the same basis as in-person ones. And many people simply have no idea what a Mental Health Treatment Plan is or how to get one.
This guide cuts through the noise. By the end of it, you will know which sessions may be rebatable, how the costs work, and exactly what CareDirect Telehealth does to make the claiming process as simple as possible.
The thing most people get wrong
The most common misconception is that you need a GP referral before you can contact a mental health service. You do not.
At CareDirect, your first step is a free nurse-led intake. No referral needed. Your intake nurse listens to what is going on, maps out which clinicians would be most useful for your situation, and then explains whether a Mental Health Treatment Plan may help you access rebated sessions. If it would, your nurse tells you exactly what to ask your GP for so that conversation is straightforward.
You can start getting support today. The paperwork can follow.
What a Mental Health Treatment Plan actually is
A Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) is a document your GP prepares after a longer consultation (usually booked as a 20-to-30-minute appointment). During that visit, your GP asks about how your mental health is affecting your daily life, outlines your goals, and identifies which clinicians would support your care. The plan then acts as a formal referral to those clinicians.
Under the Better Access initiative, an MHTP can give access to Medicare rebates for eligible psychology, mental health social work and mental-health-focused occupational therapy sessions, where the practitioner type, referral and MBS item requirements are met. Dietetics follows a different pathway. Dietetics uses a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan or an Eating Disorder Management Plan, not an MHTP. Without the right referral, those sessions are still available at CareDirect, just at the full private fee.
Getting a plan does not require a formal diagnosis. Many GPs prepare them for people experiencing anxiety, low mood, stress, grief, adjustment difficulties, sleep problems and a range of other concerns. Your GP makes the clinical assessment based on your individual situation.
Once you have a plan, it is yours. You are not tied to one clinic or one clinician. You can use your sessions across providers within the same plan.
The session limits you need to know
Under Better Access, an active MHTP can give access to up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year, where eligibility and MBS item requirements are met. Those sessions can be used with a psychologist, mental health social worker or occupational therapist working in a mental health role. Dietetics is funded through a separate CDM or eating disorder pathway, so it does not draw on these 10 sessions.
There is one catch worth planning for: after your sixth session, you need a review appointment with your GP before Medicare will cover the remaining sessions. That review is not a hurdle. Your GP checks in on progress, adjusts goals if needed, and then authorises the rest of your sessions. If you do not book the review, your seventh session onwards may not attract a rebate, so it is worth scheduling it in advance.
The 10-session cap resets on 1 January each year. Unused sessions do not roll over, so if you start a plan late in the year it is worth knowing that the count restarts in January regardless of when you began.
Which sessions attract a rebate
The table below summarises the rebate pathway for each discipline at CareDirect Telehealth. In every case, a Medicare rebate may be available only where the practitioner type, referral, care plan and MBS item requirements are met. Your eligibility is confirmed at intake.
| Discipline | Rebate pathway (where eligible) | Referral or plan required |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | Better Access (MHTP), if eligible | GP Mental Health Treatment Plan |
| Social worker counselling | Better Access (MHTP), if eligible | GP Mental Health Treatment Plan |
| Occupational therapy | Better Access (MHTP) or CDM, if eligible | MHTP for mental-health OT, or CDM plan |
| Dietetics | CDM or Eating Disorder Plan, if eligible | GP CDM plan or Eating Disorder Plan |
| Mental health nursing | Private or specific funded arrangements only | Not applicable |
| Nurse-led intake | Free, not billed to Medicare | Not required |
Counsellors, where part of your care, are generally a private service. Mental health nursing does not attract a standard Better Access rebate and is offered as a private or specifically funded service, but it remains a valuable part of many people’s care teams and is available at CareDirect.
Our telehealth Medicare rebates guide covers the specifics of how telehealth rebate suitability works if you want more detail on that.
How the cost works
Your out-of-pocket cost is the difference between the session fee and any Medicare rebate you are eligible for. The rebate amount is not a fixed figure. It depends on the current Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rate for the relevant item and your personal eligibility. For this reason, we do not publish rebate or gap figures here. The amounts can change, and the wrong number is worse than no number.
The table below shows CareDirect’s own private session fees. Where you are eligible for a rebate, your out-of-pocket cost is lower than the private fee shown.
| Discipline | Private session fee |
|---|---|
| Psychologist | $230 |
| Social worker (AMHSW) | $180 |
| Occupational therapy | $210 |
| Dietitian | $150 |
To confirm the current rebate that may apply to you, check the up-to-date MBS rate for the relevant item with Medicare, or ask at intake. Your nurse-led intake is free and will confirm the current fees, your rebate eligibility and any other financial considerations before your first clinical session.
How claiming works at CareDirect
You do not need to do anything special to claim any rebate you are eligible for. CareDirect processes eligible Medicare claims on your behalf at the time of payment. We submit the claim directly through Medicare Online, and if your bank account is registered with Medicare, any rebate usually arrives within one to two business days.
To be eligible for a rebate, you generally need these things in place:
- A current GP referral and the right care plan for the discipline (an MHTP for Better Access services, or a CDM or Eating Disorder Plan for dietetics)
- A service and practitioner type that meet the relevant MBS item requirements
- Your Medicare card on file with CareDirect
- Your bank account registered with Medicare for electronic rebates
Your intake nurse confirms these during your first appointment, so there are no surprises after your first session ends.
What about private health insurance?
Medicare and private health extras cannot both be claimed for the same session. You choose one or the other. For most people, claiming through Medicare under an MHTP gives a better return than using extras cover, but it depends on your fund and your level of cover.
If you choose to use your extras cover instead, CareDirect provides an itemised receipt you can submit directly to your insurer. There is no requirement to have a plan to access sessions at CareDirect. You can attend as a fully private patient at any point.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a GP referral to start at CareDirect?
No. Your first step is a free nurse-led intake, and that requires no referral at all. A referral only becomes relevant when you want Medicare rebates on eligible sessions. Your intake nurse will help you understand whether a Mental Health Treatment Plan is appropriate for your situation and what to ask your GP if it is.
Can I use my Mental Health Treatment Plan at more than one clinic?
Yes. Your plan belongs to you, not to a specific provider. You can use your sessions across different clinics. The 10-session Better Access cap is shared across all your eligible sessions under that plan, regardless of where they are delivered.
What happens if I need a GP review partway through my sessions?
Under Better Access, after your sixth session a GP review is generally required before Medicare will cover later sessions in the year. Your CareDirect team will flag this in advance and can help you schedule the review so your care is not interrupted.
Are telehealth sessions rebated the same way as in-person ones?
Medicare rebates for eligible mental health telehealth sessions may apply on the same basis as in-person consultations, where the clinician is appropriately registered, your referral and care plan are current, and the MBS item requirements are met. If you are eligible, you do not need to leave home to access rebated care.
Ready to start?
The nurse-led intake at CareDirect Telehealth is free, available via telehealth, and requires no referral to book. Your intake nurse confirms your Medicare rebate eligibility, walks you through the claiming process, and helps you put together the right combination of clinicians for your situation.
Book your intake and take the first step toward care that fits around your life.
Individual results vary based on your unique circumstances. Assessment findings do not guarantee a particular outcome.
