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Referrals, Fees, and Rebates
We're a private practice with Psychologists in Melbourne and online that are all registered with Medicare. With a referral or Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, you'll be able to access rebates of up to 50% of the session cost depending on which Psychologist you see. If you can't find an answer to your question here, please feel free to give our friendly admin team a call on (03) 8330 5588.
What are the fees?
The fees can vary depending on the experience, personal preferences, and background of each Psychologist.
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The fees for General Psychologists and other types of Endorsed Psychologists (non-clinical) start from $215 for in hour appointments and $230 for after hours appointments (before 9am and 4pm onwards and all day Saturday). With a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), you'll be able to access up to 10 rebates of $92.90 per calendar year.
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If you're seeing a Clinical Psychologist, the fees are $245 for in hour appointments and $260 for after hours appointments. The rebate with a MHCP is $136.35 per session.
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*Clients can access up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year with a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from your GP. More info about how to get a MHCP below!
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Please note: As of Jan 1st, 2024, we increased our service fee by $15 to adjust for the increasing costs of providing our psychological services. We appreciate that the increasing cost of living has really affected all of us in the past 2 years and that this change in service fee is a modest increase.
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The Australian Psychology Society National Schedule of Recommended Fees 2022-2023 has the standard 60-minute consultation fee at $280, however our fees have always been lower than this recommendation.
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Our priority will always be your wellbeing. If you have any concerns about the fee increase affecting your situation, please speak with your psychologist and we can work together to find a balance.
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Do I need a referral to see a Psychologist?
You don't need a referral to see a Psychologist. However, having a referral from your GP or Psychiatrist under Medicare's Better Access Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) will mean that you can claim up to 10 rebates in a calendar year of $92.90 when working with a General Psychologist or $131.65 for Clinical Psychologists per session.
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To access a Mental Health Care Plan, you'll need to speak to your GP or Psychiatrist about your mental health concerns. They will then give you a hard copy of your MHCP or fax it directly to our practice.
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What are the rebates under Medicare?
If you have a Medicare Mental Health Care Plan from your GP or Psychiatrist, you will be entitled to a rebate of $92.90 for a General Psychologist or $136.35 for a Clinical Psychologist per session.
Each person is eligible for 10 rebates in a calendar year with a review done by your GP.
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If you have been affected by the 2019-20 financial year bushfires, you may be eligible for an additional 10 rebates. You do not need a referral from your GP to access these sessions.
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Am I covered by Private Health Insurance?
Please check with your private insurance provider if you’re eligible for a rebate of psychological services under extras cover. Each person may have a different policy and limit so it's important to confirm this with your insurance provider before booking in an appointment to avoid any unexpected surprises!
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Please let our team know if you're claiming under Private Health Insurance and we'll send you an invoice which can be used to make a claim with your provider.
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What’s the difference between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist?
A Psychologist has been trained in the science of human behaviour (how a person operates in this world and the factors that influence that) and the specific strategies that can help people achieve their goals (e.g., through Cognitive Behaviour Therapy). There are lots of different types of Psychologists – Clinical, Organisational, Sports, Forensic, Educational & Developmental to name a few.
A Psychiatrist on the other hand is a medical doctor first, who then does further training to specialise in the field of psychiatry (the medicine of mental health). This means that a Psychiatrist is trained in physical health and illness and can prescribe medications whereas a Psychologist cannot.
Our Psychologists will often work closely with Psychiatrists and GPs to ensure that your therapy is supported with appropriate holistic strategies to ensure you get the most out of therapy.
Can't find your question here?
For more information or to book an appointment with one of our experienced Psychologists, please call the team at Reimagine Psychology Melbourne on (03) 8330 5588 or email us on hello@reimaginepsychology.melbourne.
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