topic Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS in Treatments, health professionals and therapies

Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Fri, 31 May 2024 08:16:00 GMT

Hi All,

Has anyone been able to claim on their super early to treat mental health conditions? I am looking in to seeing if I can claim to cover the cost of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. If depression is life threatening I dont see why TMS cannot be viewed as a potentially life saving treatment.

Be great to hear from anyone who has information on this.

Thanks

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

Croix — Fri, 31 May 2024 16:39:47 GMT

Dear Succulentqueen~

Welcome to the Forum, if you look around you may find others who have been in the same position and how they went.

As far as I know (and I am NOT an expert) the condition need not be life threatening and does induce mental illness.

I suggest you look at the ATO page (they govern such matters) and go from there

https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/super-for-individuals-and-families/super/withdrawing-and-using-your-super/early-access-to-super/access-on-compassionate-grounds/expenses-eligible-for-release-on-compassionate-grounds

It is so frustrating to need any medical procedure and it is out of reach for financial reasons -good luck

If you can please let us know how you get on, I'm sure other would be interested

Croix

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 09:25:26 GMT

Thank You Croix for your reply and for doing the leg work. The details in that link look promising. Will detail the outcome here.

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 06:24:38 GMT

Hi to anyone reading this, I can confirm that according to the ATO website, an early release of super claim can be made on the basis of having an acute or chronic mental illness. We need to have a gp report and a second report from a specialist in the area. I imagine this would be a psychiatrist or similar. I havent submitted my claim yet but will update on how I go.

No idea if anyone is even reading this forum anymore but hope this info is useful to someone else out there if, like me, you have a useless amount of super sitting around and think its better off invested in your own mind.

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

Croix — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:59:40 GMT

Dear SucculentQueen~

Thanks for getting all the info,it will be of help to others in the same situation.

I'm glad you can see a way forward now

Croix

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

xxda — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 09:29:10 GMT

thank you so much for sharing this, I'm sure this will be interested for so many.

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:08:17 GMT

Update of process/progress 18/04/25

So this is moving along slowly, mostly due to procrastination....however I am now up to the stage where I have

1/ Researched the treatment and am doubtless about giving it a go.

2/ Researched the clinic I wish to attend.

3/ Obtained a GP referral and submitted to the above clinic

4/ The clinic has assigned a psychiatrist who will assess my me to ensure I fit the criteria. Currently waiting for that appointment to occur on 08/05/25.

Feel free to post questions about any of the above.

Thanks, SQ

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

Croix — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 11:40:04 GMT

Dear SucculentQueen~

Thanks for coming back and giving us an idea of waht has happened. You sound very organized and in charge of your treatment - that really is excellent. I hope you are found suitable and the treatment has a marked positive effect.

I am still very interested in how you find the treatment and the short and long term effects you may expereince. As someone with a full basket of mental health issues including intermittent long term depression I'm always trying to find more avenues.

On practical note I hope you are in a position to replace the super you are using as quickly as is reasonable, it makes a big long term difference as I'm sure you are well aware.

Croix

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 06:11:15 GMT

So...Its been a while. They don't make this process easy but I would also attribute that to my own procrastination and fear of not being approved. At the time I applied, I truly believed it was a longshot. Turns out people are submitting claims for dental implants, gastric bypasses, mortgage issues and so forth.

It's important to to know that you absolutely need to provide multiple forms of written proof to show that you need this money for essential medical treatment. You cannot exploit or undertake this process fraudulently in case anyone is thinking along those lines.

My super fund has now processed 15k with which I can use to have TMS treatment. It can be done.

An interesting thing for anyone reading this is to know that it is now possible to have this treatment with no out of pocket expenses. That is, after going through the gruelling claim process, I've discovered that TMS is now available at selected private hospitals and clinics as an outpatient at zero cost. It's worth noting that this is for first timers only and my understanding is that Medicare eligibility for further top-up sessions are individually reassessed based on how effective the initial treatment was. It is also worth noting that if you choose to pay a gap fee, some clinics have become significantly cheaper than others. For example, there is a clinic located within an affluent inner Hobart suburb that is run by a renowned mental health practitioner. This clinic has gap fees that will likely place you out of pocket by 2.5k. For me, it meant that I could receive the treatment whilst having a holiday by the beach in Tasmania and also afford to rent an airbnb for the duration of my treatment, all at a very reduced price with a beach getaway included... Point being, that the rules have suddenly changed and this treatment has thankfully opened up for everyone to access and I did not need to take anything from my Super fund.

Interestingly, the highly recommended clinic I had lined up in Melbourne did not inform me of alternative affordable options but that's another lengthy story and unfortunately naming places to avoid is not allowed here. Let's see if I can get away with this for a while. Please avoid N----------x in Carlton, Melbourne

I now find myself with 15k I wasn't expecting to have and this will now go towards another treatment I never expected to afford.

For the government to wholly subsidise TMS shows there must be hard evidence that it is effective most of the time.

Don't get to thinking that the government are empathising or care about us, but rather they've worked out that it's cheaper to give this subsidy and save on having to fund bigger psych wards, more beds and employ more psych nurses. That may be my depression talking but it's also true.

This treatment has been around for decades. They're also looking at it's effectiveness on depersonalisation/ dissociative disorders/AuADHD so clearly there's plenty of money to made but ultimately there is good health to be restored.

I hope this is helpful to someone else who has spent years mulling over the point of each breath.

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 06:23:57 GMT

Just to clarify, I did not take a beach holiday whilst getting this treatment done and haven't had the treatment as yet. It was more a badly written tongue in cheek comparison between the over priced Melbourne clinic and the interstate option. The Melbourne option being akin to daylight thievery and being under no obligation to save people in excess of 10K for the same treatment. I hope unethical practices like this will die out once patients catch on to the subsidy.

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 06:01:10 GMT

I start treatment in 4 weeks at an inner Melb clinic which is bulk billing the entire 35 treatments. You need to ask for this and if you are a first timer it should be granted. I was surprised they did not ask me any questions about my social circumstances in order to wipe the gap fees. They also informed me of the 15 extra top up sessions that medicare would cover following the initial 35. After 50 sessions I believe it is not free unless you have a concession card. Clinics differ in what they offer and even different staff at the same clinic will elaborate on the previous staff members info and you will find yourself discovering different treatment options. Gotta say that Ive spoken to plenty of people who aren't sure about the practicalities of what they're telling me which is simply across the board in all areas of customer service these days however it's extra stressful when making healthcare decisions. My advice is to be kind, respectful but assertive in asking questions that favour your mental and financial health. If I had not asked the right questions I would be paying $175 gap fees per session, which was never ever gonna happen. Will write again into the BB ether. Maybe.

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 03:45:35 GMT

I went in for the Brain Mapping Session which is just a prep procedure prior to getting the actual treatment. Brain Mapping is where they determine where they need to send the magnetic pulses for treatment to be effective. A practitioner of some rank places a small gadget on to your head and it makes a clicking sound until your motor cortex is stimulated enough to make your finger twitch. Mine took a long time and their answer to that was a standard " everyone reacts differently". Pretty much the non-answer the reel off whenever you switch antidepressants so no-one holds them to an outcome. In light of the prevalence of abuse health professionals receive from dissatisfied patients, a non-answer is fair play.

Anyway, its simple, painless and part of the process. I was in the waiting room for longer than it took to do this.

Re: Claiming super for medical costs TMS

SucculentQueen — Mon, 18 May 2026 05:27:58 GMT

Hello to the great BB quiet expanse, or only myself maybe.

Its been 6 weeks since I finished a course of TMS and I feel better overall. The main difference is a reduction in the intensity of the depression. I don't have suicidal thoughts anymore however am not sure how I feel about this. There was comfort in knowing it was always an option. Nevertheless those suicidal thoughts were a huge source of shame and shame is a killer. Following treatment I now feel more neutral but not in a detached, depersonalised escitalopram weighted down way. I'm not really masking my misery to any great extent but simply presenting more as myself. As little as 8 weeks ago, I was using toxic positivity to defend against the stigma of looking depressed which only made me look unhinged plus it was exasperating as life lacks quality when youre faking it to survive. All this hasnt necessarily made me more socially appealing but I do feel lighter and healthier with this improved acceptance of who I am and the reduced need to pretend that I wasnt depressed because other people were uncomfortable with it. Ive come up with non-offensive, non-bitey responses to people who comment on my face looking unhappy which is better for my self esteem as not defending myself or offending anybody else but closing down ill intended comments with just a few words and changing how people treat me in future. Some just ignore me now but I'm ok with it. This is mostly workplace interactions and not sure why I can do this, possibly something to do with lowered anxiety as they also treated my right side which is the target area for ex military/paramedics with PTSD. If you have terrible anxiety this is worth raising as they can do this at no extra cost.

Something else that is really significant is the weight of the drenched woolen cloak I felt wrapped in. If youve ever carried an unspun wet woolen blanket to the clothes line that will give you some idea of the feeling. Imagine a stronger gravitational pull to the ground where you need to sit or lie down at times where normal people dont and across years that pull determines your posture and you change shape. Another thing I dont do anymore is feed on vitamins believing I'm deficient in nutrients as a reason for why I was depressed. The supplements made no difference because I wasn't significantly deficient in anything at least to the point where I felt like I was being pulled to the ground. I did have a lowered iron/Vit D count but not to the level where I was eligible for a bulk billed infusion.

Few more things to add, while I was doing the treatment I began walking alot and this shifted my weight around into a healthier arrangement where everything sat better which benefited my knees and core. i didnt really need to lose weight but i just all over the place physically and again, the walking seemed to align everything back to where it should have been which also helped my posture and the associated little aches etc. This helped my view of myself and I wouldnt have done it if I werent getting the treatment.

These are just a

;number of things Im reeling off quickly and will add as I have more time.

If you're thinking about TMS, please go ahead and do it. Keep in mind that the benefits might show up a month or so after youve finished the course and not to feel disheartened if results dont show up straight away.

Also, it's good to know that the difference is moderate, maybe even mild but honestly thats all you need if youre considering killing yourself and dont want to kill yourself.

Another thing, and only in my experience, having TMS needs to be an entire program rather than just having the actual treatment. If your environment isnt good, you might want to stay somewhere else whilst having the treatment. I rented an airbnb in St Kilda and it was the wisest choice I made in terms of helping to stimulate my brain and open up the possibilities of a new lifestyle. Infact air bnb is a great substitute for an actual holiday if you want to go stay near the beach or whatever you'd like to do.

I also recommend having a peer supported place where you can discuss the treatment beyond the restrictive walls of a professional setting. I did not have this but wouyld have found it beyond useful and am still seeking this kind of thing if it's out there.

If you have to return to an environment that made you unhappy, before having the treatment try to plan ahead and prepare your environment for when you return. This could be rearranging the loungeroom or bedroom or just having a gift waiting for yourself on the kitchen table for when you get home. Whatever it is that will give you a change and light up your brain on returning.