Medicare Better Access and psychology rebates, explained
Better Access is the Medicare initiative that lets many clients get a rebate on psychology sessions — but the details around referrals, session limits and rebate amounts change, and we're not going to state figures here that could be wrong by the time you read this. Here's how the pieces fit together, and where to check the current numbers.
What Better Access actually is
Medicare's Better Access initiative allows a client referred by their general practitioner (or in some cases another eligible medical practitioner) to access a Medicare rebate for a limited number of psychology sessions each calendar year, provided they have a Mental Health Treatment Plan in place. It's one of the main ways psychology becomes more affordable for clients who might otherwise struggle to access private-fee therapy.
How a client actually gets there
- They see their GP (or another eligible referrer), who assesses whether a Mental Health Treatment Plan is appropriate.
- The GP prepares the Plan and refers the client to an eligible psychologist or other allied mental health provider.
- The client attends sessions with the psychologist, who bills in a way that lets the client claim a Medicare rebate for each eligible session, up to the limit set for that calendar year.
- The GP reviews progress, typically after a set number of sessions, to decide whether a referral for further sessions is appropriate.
On the numbers we're deliberately not stating: the number of subsidised sessions available per calendar year, and the rebate amount per session, are both set by the Australian Government and reviewed periodically — they have changed before and will likely change again. Please confirm both directly with Services Australia or your client's GP rather than relying on a number from this article or any other source that isn't dated to the day you're reading it.
What this means for how you bill
Whether you bulk-bill, charge a gap fee, or charge your full private fee and let the client claim the rebate themselves depends on your own practice's approach — all three are common in Australian psychology practice. What matters for your client's experience is that whichever model you use, they get a clear, accurate invoice-receipt with everything Services Australia needs to process their claim without it bouncing back for missing details.
Where Nerela fits — and where it doesn't
Nerela doesn't currently bill Medicare directly on your behalf — it isn't a Medicare-integrated billing system in the way some Australian platforms are. What it does is issue a clear, sequentially numbered invoice-receipt for each session, with your provider details and the session information a client needs to submit their own Medicare Better Access claim through Services Australia, or a claim to their private health fund if that's the relevant path. If direct Medicare claiming integrated into the billing screen is a must-have for you, that's worth weighing when you compare software — see our honest comparison of software for psychologists in Australia.
Invoices your clients can actually use for their claim
A clear invoice-receipt, straight from the appointment, with everything Services Australia asks for.
Bringing it together
Better Access connects a GP referral, a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a limited number of Medicare-subsidised sessions each year — but the exact session limit and rebate amount are numbers you should always confirm with Services Australia or the client's GP directly, not take from an article like this one. What you can control is making sure every invoice you issue is clear, accurate and complete the first time.
Frequently asked questions
How many sessions does Medicare cover under Better Access?+
The number of subsidised sessions available per calendar year is set by the Australian Government and has changed over time, so we're not stating a figure here that could be out of date. Confirm the current limit directly with Services Australia or your client's GP.
What's the current Medicare rebate amount for a psychology session?+
The rebate amount is set and periodically reviewed by the Australian Government. Check the current amount on the Services Australia website rather than relying on a figure from any article, including this one, since it can change.
Does a client need a referral to claim a Medicare rebate for psychology?+
Yes — under Better Access, a client generally needs a referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan from their GP (or another eligible referrer) before they can claim a Medicare rebate for psychology sessions.
Does Nerela bill Medicare directly for my clients?+
No. Nerela issues a clear invoice-receipt with the details a client needs to submit their own Medicare Better Access claim through Services Australia, or a claim to their private health fund — it doesn't process Medicare billing directly on your behalf.
A clear invoice, every time, ready for your client's own claim
Sequentially numbered invoice-receipts with your provider details already on them, straight from the appointment.
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