In order to be eligible for the Medicare rebate, you need two things:

1. A referral from your GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician.
2. A valid Mental Health Care Plan from your GP.

You can still attend Theta Psychology without a referral or Mental Health Care Plan, but you won’t be eligible for the Medicare rebate so would be required to pay the full private fee.

There are two types of Medicare referrals your referring doctor can make to see a clinical psychologist:

One referral is through the Better Access Scheme and needs a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP).

• First, you need to book an appointment with your GP. It is suggested you book a longer appointment to allow time to discuss and prepare a MHTP. Your GP will need to write the MHTP, submit it to Medicare, and write a referral letter that confirms they have lodged this plan and how many appointments they are referring you for. 
• After a maximum of six psychology appointments, you need to see your GP again for a review and to access further psychology appointments if this is recommended.    
• A MHTP allows you to receive support from Medicare to attend psychology appointments at a reduced cost for a maximum of ten appointments per calendar year. The number of appointments has increased under COVID-19 provisions to 20 each calendar year until June 2022 to support Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• After your first ten appointments, you will need to see your GP again for a review. Your GP may request further appointments (up to ten more) and support from Medicare to contribute to the cost of these if you’d be considered to benefit from these.

Another referral is an Eating Disorder Treatment Plan (EDP).

• You need to arrange to meet with your GP who can complete an EDP for you. They’ll submit this to Medicare and give you a copy to bring to your appointment along with a referral. Your GP may also email ([email protected]) or fax (07 3540 8112) the EDP and referral letter to Theta Psychology.
• If you begin treatment with a MHTP, you can transition to an EDP later if needed. 
• An EDP allows you to receive treatment at a cost subsidised by Medicare for up to 40 sessions, over 12 months. 
• You will need to see your GP for review after each 10 sessions. 
• You will also need a specialist referral to a paediatrician or psychiatrist to access appointments 21 to 40 through an EDP. This referral can be made once the plan is activated. 
• 12 months from the date the GP initially completed the EDP, the EDP expires and a new plan is needed. 
• Please see eligibility criteria for an EDP, and an EDP template for GPs here: https://nedc.com.au/professional-development/medicare-items/

Medicare pays a rebate towards the cost of these appointments under the Better Access Scheme with a MHTP or an EDP. This rebate is higher if families have reached their Medicare Safety Net threshold. You can read more about the Medicare Safety Net threshold below. A clinical psychologist attracts a $137.05 rebate for a standard consultation under a Better Access MHTP or an EDP.

If you have high annual healthcare costs, your out-of-pocket gap counts toward the Medicare Safety Net. We offer Medicare online processing, meaning this rebate will be directed into the bank account registered with Medicare at the time of your appointment. Medicare usually makes these transfers immediately, but they can take up to 48hrs to be processed by your bank.

You will need to check with your provider if they’ll allow you to claim a rebate for psychology services. Please note that you cannot receive the Medicare rebate as well as claim through your private health insurer.

Theta Psychology accepts payment via online processing and there are no cash or card facilities at the clinic. Once your details are entered into Halaxy (the clinical software used at the clinic), you will not need to handle payments again. 

When you enter your card details in the online intake form sent to you by Theta Psychology, or when these are entered for you via telephone or at the clinic, they are stored and tokenised by Halaxy payments gateway in a way that they are not visible to anybody within the clinic or at Halaxy. 

Here is further information about how Halaxy keeps your card details secure: https://blog.halaxy.com/halaxy-card-security-faqs/ 

We encourage our community to follow the QLD Health Guidelines on COVID-19 and to help us in keeping our community safe.

It is important to follow social distancing requirements. 

• We encourage patients to arrive at Theta Psychology close to their appointment time to allow them to enter the therapy room promptly.
• Please continue to practice good hygiene.  We have hand sanitizer available for your use in appointments. 
• We regularly wipe down furniture and disinfect surfaces within the clinic
• Please dispose of tissues yourself. 
• We may offer Telehealth psychology for those worried about attending in person or who may be unwell at the time of their appointment. Please feel free to discuss this option with your psychologist. 

Please note that, in line with government requirements, if you are positive for COVID-19, patient details may need to be provided to relevant authorities for public safety. You can provide your details through making use of the QR Code placed inside the clinic. 

For information on the Check In QLD Privacy Policy, please go to: https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/check-in-qld/privacy 

What to do if you are unwell

If you have experienced any flu-like symptoms, we request that you please not attend the clinic in person. Please contact the clinic as early as possible to avoid cancellation fees and to allow opportunity to determine alternate appointment arrangements. Telehealth may be an option if you are feeling well enough, or your appointment could be rescheduled. 

Flu-like symptoms may include fever, cough, sore throat, chest pain, difficult breathing, and aches and pains. 

Please do not attend the clinic if you have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, who is unwell, or if you are identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, or are required to follow quarantine or self-isolation directions. 

• If you have any questions about COVID-19, you may contact the national coronavirus hotline: 1 800 020 080.
• You can also find more information on COVID-19 advice at Australian Government Department of Health: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert