Under the Better Access initiative, your patient can access Medicare benefits for selected mental health services provided by:
- general practitioners (GPs)
- medical practitioners (working in general practice)
- psychiatrists
- clinical psychologists
- psychologists
- social workers
- occupational therapists.
You should register with us if you’ve completed the mental health skills training accredited by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration. Once you’ve registered, you can provide GP focused psychological strategies (FPS) services.
Read about the rules for patient eligibility for mental health care plans.
If your patient has a previous plan, then you can either:
- ask your patient if they have a copy of the previous GP mental health treatment plan (GPMHTP)
- with your patient’s permission, ask their previous health professional for a copy.
Only prepare a GPMHTP if you’re the patient’s usual practitioner and expect to continue managing their condition.
You can read about billing mental health services.
You can check eligibility and look up item numbers through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items online checker in HPOS. Read about the relevant MBS item descriptions on the MBS Online website.
General practitioners and medical practitioners working in general practice may be able to claim for services for mental health care plans, including:
- preparing a GPMHTP
- reviewing a mental health treatment plan
- managing a patient’s mental health condition
- providing focused psychological strategies (FPS) services.
There are rules how often you can claim these services. What you can claim depends on the health professional’s and patient’s eligibility.
Read about the relevant MBS item descriptions on the MBS Online website.
You can read more information and view infographic resources about mental health plans on the Health Professional Education Resources (HPE) website.
Once a medical practitioner has completed a GPMHTP, they can refer patients for a range of mental health services, including:
- psychological therapy services performed by a clinical psychologist
- allied health FPS services performed by a registered psychologist, occupational therapist or social worker
- FPS services performed by another practitioner with appropriate training.
You can also refer your patient for these services, if you’re managing them under either a:
- referred psychiatrist assessment and management plan
- shared care plan.
Certain allied health services require your patient’s care to be managed under a:
- GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements
- GPMHTP or shared care plan.
You can read about allied health referrals for mental health care plans.
You can review a patient’s previous plan if it’s been in place for more than 4 weeks.
Health professionals can review a mental health treatment plan:
- once every 3 months
- if they haven’t claimed a GPMHTP item within the last 4 weeks.