How to Get a Mental Health Care Plan from Your GP

If you have been thinking about seeing a psychologist but have been putting it off because of the cost, a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from your GP is how you access subsidised sessions through Medicare. It is not complicated to get, but there are a few things worth knowing before you book so the appointment actually does what you need it to do.

What a Mental Health Care Plan is

A Mental Health Care Plan is a document your GP writes under the Australian Government’s Better Access initiative. It documents your current mental health concerns, your relevant history, your treatment goals, and a referral to a psychologist or other eligible mental health professional. Once your plan is in place, you can claim a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual therapy sessions per calendar year.

To be clear about what it does: it reduces the cost of seeing a psychologist. It does not make it free — most psychologists charge more than the Medicare rebate, so there will usually be a gap payment. The plan makes the gap much smaller than paying the full fee out of pocket.

Who is eligible

You do not need to be in crisis or have a serious psychiatric diagnosis. The scheme covers a wide range of presentations, including anxiety, depression, stress, grief, trauma and eating disorders — anything affecting how you are getting on with daily life. You also do not need a named diagnosis before you see your GP: describing what you have been experiencing is enough to start the conversation.

Booking the right appointment

Booking the right appointment length is the most common thing people get wrong. A standard short GP appointment is not long enough — you need at least 30 minutes. When you contact the clinic, ask for a mental health appointment or a long consultation and mention that you would like to discuss a Mental Health Care Plan. You do not need to give a detailed reason, and you do not need a referral from another doctor.

What happens during the appointment

• Your GP will ask what has been going on — how you have been feeling, for how long, and how it is affecting your day-to-day life.
• Your GP will document your mental health concerns and goals, which gives your psychologist context before you walk in the door.
• Your GP will write a referral letter. The plan and the referral are two separate documents, and you need both. If you have not chosen a psychologist yet, the referral can be written to “Dear Psychologist” and used wherever you end up going.
• Your GP might also discuss medication. There is no obligation to start anything you are not comfortable with.

How the sessions and rebates work

Your GP initially refers you for up to 6 sessions. After those, your psychologist typically writes back to your GP, who reviews your progress and can refer you for the remaining sessions, up to 10 per calendar year. The limit resets on 1 January. Rebate amounts are set by Medicare and published on the Services Australia website; most psychologists charge above the rebate, so ask about fees and confirm they are Medicare-registered before booking.