Access Medicare rebates for your psychology sessions

Access Medicare rebates for your psychology sessions

Everything you need to know to reduce your cost per session with access to Medicare rebates.

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How to access Medicare rebates for your psychology sessions


  1. Book an appointment with your GP

    Book an extended appointment with your GP to get a Mental Health Plan and a referral letter.

  2. Upload your Medicare documents

    Upload your Mental Health Plan & referral to your My Mirror dashboard to share them with your psychologist.

  3. Complete and pay for your session

    You will be charged the private fee after your session. Part of this session fee can be rebated through a Medicare self-claim.

  4. Receive rebates back to your account

    Once you submit your claim it will be processed by Medicare, and you'll receive the rebate back into your account.

What are the Medicare benefits for psychology sessions?

How to claim medicare rebates for your psychology sessions

With access to Medicare benefits, you can save $96.65 per session with a general psychologist and $141.85 per session with a clinical psychologist. 

That means the fee to be paid is only $116.35 for a general psychology session and $131.15 for a clinical psychology session. At My Mirror, you can upload your current Mental Health Plan & referral letter to your My Mirror dashboard before your first psychology session. This helps your psychologist give you the best support according to your Mental Health Plan, and keeps all the information you'll need to make a Medicare rebate claim safe in one place.

You can access up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year. My Mirror also provides bulked-billed sessions with our psychologists for those who need it the most.

What do you need to claim Medicare rebates?

Medicare journey for your psychology sessions

To access Medicare rebates for your psychology sessions you'll need to have a valid Medicare card. You'll also need to get a referral letter and a Mental Health Plan from your GP before you attend your session to access Medicare rebates. 

You can get your Mental Health Plan from the comfort of your own home using an online platform that offers bulk billing. Learn more about getting a Mental Health Plan online.

You can schedule your session with a psychologist now, just make sure your Mental Health Plan appointment is booked in ahead of your first session.

What are the steps to access rebated sessions?

As everyone’s mental health journey is different, it is up to you to keep track of your Mental Health Plan and make sure it is up to date to access your rebates. To help make this as easy as possible we have broken down the path to rebated sessions.

Your referral will not provide access to all 10 eligible sessions at once. You will have regular referral check-ins with your GP to top up your plan and check in on your progress. This pathway looks like this: 

  • Initial assessment with your GP for up to 6 sessions with a psychologist.
  • Your GP will provide two documents: a referral letter and a Mental Health Plan. Once you have these documents you can take a picture or scan a copy and upload it into your profile on the My Mirror platform. 
  • Did your GP fax My Mirror these documents? Please create an account and reach out to hello@mymirror.com.au to have them uploaded on your behalf.
  • After session 5/6, your psychologist will need to write a brief letter to your GP to share your progress and request additional sessions as needed. You will need to book a session with your GP at this time to review your progress. 
  • Once approved your GP will issue a letter to your psychologist to provide access to 4 more sessions. They may provide the letter to you directly ( for you to then upload onto your profile on the My Mirror platform like you did with your initial MHCP and referral document). Check with your GP which option they will take. 
  • We recommend discussing your plan with your psychologist as you get started so they can assist you in keeping on track with your plan and re-referrals as needed.  

How to book a mental health assessment with my doctor?

When you book the appointment with your doctor you can request a long, or double appointment. This will give you the space to talk through what is happening, and you are less likely to feel rushed, and more likely to feel acknowledged. Also, legally your doctor needs to have at least a 20 minute appointment to appropriately explore your mental health.

Not all doctors cover mental health, you can check in with your usual doctor if this is something they can support with (before your first appointment), or whether they recommend an appointment with another doctor. Most General Practitioners should be able to support you, but there is no harm in double-checking to make sure you get the right support to make the process smoother.

You can be part of the process when it comes to making a treatment plan…it is your health and wellbeing after all. If you know you want to seek counselling make sure you mention this specifically so your doctor can help you with a Mental Health Plan.

How to get a Mental Health Plan?

The first step to getting a Mental Health Plan is to book an appointment with your doctor (often called a mental health assessment), who will help to assess what you need. 

During the appointment your doctor might ask some personal questions to help better understand your situation. This could include whether you have any history of mental illness, any recent or historical life challenges, your family history of mental health, any alcohol or drug use, the coping strategies you use and if you have thoughts of suicide. They may even ask you to complete a short questionnaire (called a K10) which helps to understand the level of emotional distress you are experiencing.

Once your doctor has taken the time to understand your presenting concerns, they might provide a diagnosis and make recommendations for seeking help – this is called a treatment plan. It might include things like medication, lifestyle changes and/or counselling. In order to access a Mental Health Plan, you must have an eligible Medicare card.

It might feel uncomfortable to talk about your experiences and challenges, so remember to be gentle and kind to yourself, and go at your own pace.

How can I get my Mental Health Plan online?

It's also possible to get your Mental Health Plan by requesting an online appointment. Talk to an online GP from the comfort of your own home and receive your Mental Health Plan and referral letter just like you would in a face-to-face appointment. 

Online Mental Health Plan assessments can also be bulk billed, meaning you won't have any out-of-pocket expenses.

Learn more about online Mental Health Plans

What are the benefits of getting a Mental Health Plan?

It might involve a few steps, but once you have one you are eligible to access up to 10 sessions per calendar year. A Mental Health Plan allows Australian residents who hold a valid Medicare card to access crucial treatment for mental health concerns at a more affordable rate.

As of 2024, if you have an eligible Mental Health Plan, the government will provide you with a rebate or pay part of the costs for accessing psychological services:

  • If you see a Registered Psychologist, you will get back $96.65
  • If you see a Clinical Psychologist, you will get back $141.85

How to select a psychologist for your referral?

During the appointment with your doctor, you can ask them if they have any recommendations for a psychologist or psychological practice/service, but you can also do your own research and find your own psychologist. Your doctor will then need to write you a referral to your chosen psychologist or service. Once you have these two documents you are ready to get started and can contact the person/service listed on the referral and start discussing making your first appointment. Some other things to consider might be:

  • You might want to check in about whether they have a waitlist and how long it is.
  • Read their online profile and review areas they have experience in. It's important to find a good match, and someone who works with and can support your specific needs.
  • Consider whether you want face-to-face or virtual sessions.
  • Make sure that they accept Mental Health Plans so you can have some costs subsidised by Medicare.
  • If funds are tight, you can also check if they offer any Bulk Billed sessions, but keep in mind this can sometimes impact the wait time, so check that out.

Although you might have the name of a psychologist written on your referral letter, it doesn't mean that you can't get Medicare rebates for sessions with a different psychologist. That referral letter can actually be used by any psychologist, so don't let that choice stop you from starting your mental health journey, you can always decide later on.  


Am I eligible to bulk-billed sessions?

At My Mirror we know how important it is to get access to mental health support, when and where you need it most. That’s why we provide bulk-billed sessions to those with a valid Medicare card living in Australia that meets certain criteria.  Check your bulk-billing eligibility 

How many rebated psychology sessions can I get each year through Medicare?

The short answer is up to 10 rebated psychology sessions per calendar year in 2023. 

As per the January 2023 Medicare Update for psychology sessions, the additional 10 sessions/year accessible through the Covid10+ referral item number has been removed.

In response to the COVID19 Pandemic, the Australian government increased the number of medicare-subsidised sessions to 20. This increase was extended again in December 2022 but has now unfortunately been reduced once again to 10.

For background, the Better Access initiative gives Medicare rebates to help people access mental health professionals and care, regardless of where they live. 


How to find Medicare psychologists?

All of our psychologists are eligible to be considered as Medicare psychologists, meaning that our clients can claim Medicare rebates for their sessions with any of our My Mirror psychologists. As long as you are eligible for Medicare rebates, you can claim your rebates with any of our psychologists.

How do I claim Medicare rebates for my psychology sessions?

You can self-claim rebates for your psychology sessions by submitting a claim through Medicare. To submit your claim you'll need your myGov login details, a valid Mental Health Plan & referral letter, and your Paid Invoice which is emailed to you from My Mirror after each psychology session.

Learn how to make your Medicare claim

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What clients say about My Mirror


06 April 2023

So grateful

I am so grateful for my psychologist from My Mirror, and having my psychologist available via telehealth has been so much more beneficial for my mental health. Being able to be seen, heard and listened to rather than waiting so long on a waitlist has been a godsend.


03 May 2023

Fantastic experience

Having been initially sceptical, my overall experience with My Mirror has been fantastic. My Mirror matched and connected me with a psychologist who simply “got” me from the very beginning. I cannot recommend this service enough.


05 January 2024

Big tick

I'm one of those people who doesn't enjoy going out of my home or talking to a doctor, let alone a psychologist. Without My Mirror and the services they provide I would most likely neglect seeking help, so it's a big tick from me for these guys.


18 January 2024

What we need

One of the best online platforms I have ever used. The simplicity of the bulk billing system, rebates and the selection of well educated clinical psychologists is what we need. Couldn't of found a better website. 🙌


 

If you are feeling suicidal or are in crisis call 000 (AU) or use these resources to get immediate help.