Mental Health Care Plan Explained

21 Oct Mental Health Care Plan Explained

Mental Health Care Plans can be difficult to navigate, especially when you are not feeling your best-which is usually when you need them! Read on to understand what a Mental Health Care Plan is, what it can do for you, how it works and how to get one.

What is a Mental Health Care Plan?

A Mental Health Care Plan is a GP generated document formulated to a client’s specific mental health needs, outlining treatment recommendations and is accompanied by a referral letter.

It is provided under Medicare, in an attempt to support access to mental health services.

The Mental Health Care Plan allows for 20 rebatable sessions with a psychologist, which means that for each session, you will receive a rebate of $89.65. In turn, that means you will not be out of pocket for the full fee.

How Does a Mental Health Care Plan Work?

The way this works is that Mental Health Care Plans have an item number that, when processed, triggers the rebate for each session.

What is the Structure of a Mental Health Care Plan?

The structure for the MHCP is:

• • Original Mental Health Care Plan – 6 sessions with your psychologist
  • 1^st Mental Health Care Plan review with GP
  • Reviewed Mental Health Care Plan – 4 sessions with your psychologist
  • 2^nd Mental Health Care Plan review with GP
  • Extended Mental Health Care Plan – 10 sessions with your psychologist

The original Mental Health Care Plan is for 6 sessions and once those are finished, your psychologist will complete a report to advise the GP that the sessions have been used as recommended. Your psychologist will also either request further sessions or will advise your GP if no further sessions are required.

If further sessions are needed, you will need to meet with your GP for a review and they will create a new referral and update the Mental Health Care Plan for a further 4 sessions.

At the end of those, your psychologist will complete a report to advise the GP that the sessions have been used as recommended on the plan. Your psychologist will also either request further sessions, or they will advise your GP if no further sessions are required.

If further sessions are needed, you will need to meet with your GP for a review and they will create a new referral and update the Mental Health Care Plan for a further 10 sessions.

How to Get a Mental Health Care Plan?

• • Book an appointment with your GP. At the time of booking, let the receptionist know that the you’d like to obtain a Mental Health Care Plan, so that they ensure the appointment allows for enough time
  • At the appointment your GP will ask questions about the mental health concerns and needs you have, how long they’ve been going on for and the possible causes or contributing factors
  • Your GP may administer a psychological screening tool (it looks like a questionnaire) to determine your mental state and aid their recommendations. The results from this tool can also aid your future psychologist regarding your mental state

Things to Keep in Mind:

The length of therapy is not dictated by the Mental Health Care Plan. Therapy may last for 5 sessions or 15. Or even 50, depending on your needs. The purpose of the Mental Health Care Plan is to support that journey.

You do not need a Mental Health Care Plan to see a psychologist. You can see them with private health cover or as a full fee-paying client.

The report your psychologist will send to your GP does not typically contain the minutiae of your therapeutic work, but feel free to ask you psychologist what will be included on it

Also, it’s important to know that the amount you receive back from Medicare, in the form of a rebate, depends on whether you have reached your Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN).

Helpful Tip: Your EMSN

If you have spent more that $2249 out of pocket, in one calendar year, your rebate amount will be 80% of the session fee.  Also, if you hold a Medicare Healthcare or Concession card, the EMSN is lower and you will receive rebates of 80% after having spent $717 on out-of-pocket costs.

Log into your Medicare account to check your EMSN and see where you sit.