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Medicare Psychology
Psychology with a Medicare rebate
If you are eligible for Medicare-funded mental health treatment, a referral from your GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician can reduce the cost of seeing a psychologist at Framework Psychology.
We provide psychology for adults and older adolescents aged 15+, with appointments in Kew East, Melbourne, and by telehealth where appropriate.
Quick Facts
Medicare rebate
Eligible patients can receive Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual mental health treatment services per calendar year.
Referral required
You need an eligible written referral from a GP or prescribed medical practitioner, psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Appointments
Kew East, or telehealth where appropriate.
Gap applies
Framework does not bulk bill Medicare psychology appointments.
Your Medicare psychology questions, answered
Medicare’s Better Access program helps eligible people with a diagnosed mental health condition access psychological treatment.
Your doctor or specialist first determines whether you are eligible.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be referred through:
a Mental Health Treatment Plan prepared by an eligible GP or prescribed medical practitioner
a Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plan
a direct eligible referral from a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
A Mental Health Treatment Plan and the psychologist referral are related, but they are not the same document. Your psychologist needs a valid written referral letter before Medicare benefits can be claimed.
How Medicare psychology works
Better Access
Eligible patients can claim Medicare benefits for up to 10 individual mental health treatment services in a calendar year.
Your first referral can be for up to six individual services.
If further treatment is appropriate, your referring practitioner can review your progress and provide a new referral for further services, up to your remaining annual Medicare entitlement.
Your doctor decides how many services to refer you for based on your clinical needs.
Your plan does not expire
A Mental Health Treatment Plan does not simply expire at the end of the calendar year.
If you have unused services remaining on a valid referral, you may be able to use them in the following year. Services you receive then count towards that new calendar year’s Medicare limit.
How many psychology sessions can Medicare help with?
Individual appointments of 50 minutes or more
These figures apply to relevant Better Access items from 1 July 2026.
Your actual Medicare benefit depends on your referral, the service provided and your remaining Medicare entitlement.
Medicare does not pay benefits for non-attendance/late cancellation fees (< 1 business day).
Medicare rebates and rules can change, including annual adjustments from 1 July each year. We will reconfirm the applicable fee and expected rebate before your first appointment.
Medicare psychology fees
| Registered Psychologist | Clinical Psychologist | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Fee | 230.00 | 280.00 | ||
| Medicare Rebate -- | 101.55 | 149.05 | ||
| Gap | $128.45 | $130.95 |
1. Talk with your doctor
Ask whether Medicare-rebated psychological treatment is appropriate for you.
For GP referrals, current Better Access rules generally require the Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral to be provided through your MyMedicare-registered practice or your usual medical practitioner. Preparing a plan will usually require a longer appointment.
You’re also welcome to call us before you see your doctor. You’ll remain eligible for Medicare rebates so long as you have a GP or other eligible referral by the time of your appointment.
2. Send us your referral
You or your referrer can send the referral to Framework Psychology.
3. We’ll help you find the right psychologist
Your referral can be used with any of our psychologists. We’ll help consider your needs, preferences, appointment availability and whether in-person or telehealth treatment is appropriate.
We’ll also confirm the fee and expected Medicare rebate before treatment begins.
How to get started
What should I expect from Framework Psychology?
At Framework Psychology, our experienced clinical psychologists will work with you to understand what is happening, what matters to you and what you would like to change.
Treatment may include:
careful assessment and formulation
evidence-based psychological therapy
practical strategies for everyday life
agreed treatment goals
monitoring progress over time
support for functioning, relationships, health, study or work.
Our approach is professional and evidence-based, while remaining practical, collaborative and individual.
Usually, yes.
Under Better Access, psychologists are required to provide your referring practitioner with a report at the end of each referred course of treatment. This generally includes information about assessment, treatment provided, progress and recommendations for any further care.
If you change treating doctors, you can let us know.
We will explain relevant information-sharing and confidentiality arrangements as you begin treatment.
Will my psychologist communicate with my doctor?
For referrers
General Practitioners
Psychiatrists
Paediatricians
Referring a patient to Framework Psychology
Please provide a written referral including the patient’s:
name, date of birth and address
relevant symptoms or diagnosis
current medications, where relevant
number of services being referred
relevant clinical information
details of the Mental Health Treatment Plan or Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plan, where applicable
Please ensure the letter includes your practice location, date of referral, signature, and provider number.
Mental Health Treatment Plans or Psychiatrist Assessment & Management Plans may be shared with patients consent.
| Healthlink | framewkp | |
| Medical Objects | Framework Psychology | |
| Secure Fax | 03 8414 4021 | |
| Encrypted Email | contact@framewk.com.au | |
| Halaxy Upload | Online Form |
Refer securely
Referrals and other health records may be shared via:
Medicare Psychology
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. You can see a psychologist as a private patient without any referral.
However, a referral from a GP or relevant specialist is required if you want to access a Medicare Better Access rebate.
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The plan itself does not expire. However, Medicare referral and annual service-limit rules still apply (maximum of up to 6 sessions in any initial referral, and a maximum of 10 rebated appointments in a calendar year).
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Yes. Unused services on a valid referral may be used in a later calendar year, but services received then count towards that year’s Medicare limit.
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Eligible individual Better Access psychology services can be provided by telehealth (video conference) where Medicare requirements are met and telehealth is clinically appropriate.
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No. Framework charges a private fee. Once this is paid, we submit the Medicare rebate claim electronically on your behalf. Medicare will reimburse you the eligible rebate, leaving an out-of-pocket gap.
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The Better Access initiative covers people with clinically diagnosable mental illness, with at least moderate care needs. This might include:
Alcohol use disorder
Adjustment disorder
Attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD)
Bereavement disorder
Bipolar disorder
Chronic fatigue
Conduct disorder
Co-occurring anxiety and depression
Depression
Dissociative disorder
Drug use disorder
Enuresis
Generalised anxiety disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Panic disorder
Phobic disorder
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Psychotic disorders
Schizophrenia
Sexual disorders
Sleep problems
Unexplained somatic complaints
Other mental illnesses, not otherwise specified
There are conditions excluded from MHTPs, including dementia, delirium, tobacco use, and intellectual/cogniitive disability.
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No. Currently none of our psychologists provide services through a group therapy model.
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Yes. Your GP or other medical practitioner will determine whether a individual patient with a chronic condition would benefit from a structured plan for the management of their condition, and if psychology should form part of that plan.
Eligibility is for patients that have at least one medical condition that has been (or is likely to be) present for at least 6 months, or is terminal. Contact us for more information.
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Not currently. None of our psychologists work in the area of eating disorders.
To find psychologists who can assist, we recommend you search by your concern and location on sites such as the Australian Psychological Society’s Find a Psychologist or PsychEngage.
Find out more
For more information or to discuss any questions, get in touch today.
You can book now.
If you are unsure whether Framework is the right service for you, you are always welcome to email or call with your enquiries.