Mental health services

Read the relevant item descriptions, fact sheets and explanatory notes on the MBS Online website.

The Better Access initiative aims to improve the treatment and management of mental illness within the community. It gives patients better access to mental health professionals and team-based mental health care.

Medicare benefits are payable for up to 10 individual and 10 group therapy mental health treatment services each calendar year. To receive these services, a patient must have been assessed with a clinically diagnosed mental disorder and have one of the following:

• referral from a general practitioner (GP) or prescribed medical practitioner (PMP) as part of a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP)
• referral as part of a psychiatrist assessment and management plan (PAMP)
• direct referral from a psychiatrist or paediatrician.

Under this initiative, eligible patients can access Medicare benefits for selected mental health treatment services provided by eligible:

• GPs
• PMPs
• clinical psychologists
• registered psychologists
• social workers
• occupational therapists.

Read more about the Better Access initiative on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.

Confirming mental health items and limits

You can use the MBS items online checker in Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) for all of the following:

• view and check patient eligibility based on their MBS history
• check your own eligibility for claiming MBS items
• check claiming conditions for MBS items.

You can call us to check the following:

• if a patient has claimed a MHTP, PAMP or an eligible service from a psychiatrist or paediatrician
• how many mental health treatment services the patient has already claimed in the calendar year.

Billing mental health treatment plan services

You can bill mental health treatment plan (MHTP) items if you’re the patient’s usual medical practitioner or are a GP or PMP at the general practice they are enrolled in for MyMedicare.

A Medicare benefit will not be payable unless a patient meets the eligibility and referral requirements outlined in Better Access Initiative on MBS Online.

These services can be performed and billed through telehealth if appropriate and the eligibility requirements are met. Read Telehealth MBS items to learn more.

Prepare a mental health treatment plan

In person MHTP MBS items:

• 272
• 276
• 281-282
• 2700-2701
• 2715
• 2717.

A patient's MHTP should be treated as a living document and updated as required. A new plan should not be prepared unless clinically required, and generally not within 12 months of a previous plan, unless exceptional circumstances exist.

Further information on the requirements of a MHTP is outlined in Mental Health Treatment Plans and Consultation on MBS Online.

Review a mental health treatment plan

GPs and PMPs can use time-tiered professional (general) attendance items to:

• review a patient’s MHTP
• provide ongoing management of a patient’s mental health condition.

Reviews should not occur more than once every 3 months, or within 4 weeks of a MHTP being prepared unless there are exceptional circumstances. Typically, no more than 2 reviews each calendar year is required.

Provision of focused psychological strategies (FPS) services

Eligible GPs and PMPs can provide FPS services to a patient with a MHTP.

In person MBS items:

• 283-287
• 2721-2727.

GPs and PMPs must have the appropriate training recognised by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration.

These items can be claimed up to 10 times each calendar year and count towards the patient’s Better Access calendar year allocation for individual services.

Allied mental health treatment services

Eligible allied health professionals must both:

• meet the qualification requirements outlined in Schedule 1 of the Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Allied Health Services) Determination 2024
• have a Medicare provider number.

Under Better Access, eligible allied health professionals can bill and claim the services in the tables below.

Group therapy mental health treatment video services are limited to patients located in MMM areas 4 to 7.

Better Access services for family and carer participation

Better Access services allow eligible health professionals to deliver up to a maximum of 2 services per calendar year to a family member or carer of the patient. Eligible health professionals include:

• GPs
• PMPs
• clinical psychologists
• psychologists
• occupational therapists
• social workers.

These Better Access services can be provided to a family member or carer, where the:

• patient has been referred for Better Access mental health treatment services as part of a MHTP, PAMP or direct referral from a psychiatrist or paediatrician
• treating or referring practitioner determines it is clinically appropriate
• patient consents for the service to be provided to their family member or carer as part of their treatment
• service is part of the patient’s treatment
• patient isn’t in attendance.

Any services delivered using these MBS items count towards the patient’s Better Access calendar year allocation for individual services.

These services recognise the important role family members and carers play in supporting patients with mental illness. Involving family members and carers in treatment benefits patient outcomes.

Under Better Access, eligible health professionals can bill and claim the services in the table below.