Best private health care cover for psychologists?

[bassicallyfocused]

Hi all

Wondered if there was a wisdom here about good PHI providers for clinical psychology visits?

I intend to compare several, but it is a bit overwhelming. A few pointers on where to start would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

David

[Quercus]

Hi David,

Welcome to the forums. What an important question!

I found it surprising when I phoned my health insurer to find that they do not cover seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist unless you are admitted to hospital for care and are treated as an inpatient.

I see a psychiatrist weekly. This sounds incredibly expensive and at the start of the year it is very tough. However every payment goes towards the medicare safety net. The closer to the threshold I get the less I pay. And I reach it very quickly.

Once I reach the threshold my bill goes from $150 a session to about $16.

If you log on to your mygov account or make an appointment to visit Centelink/Medicare (shudders) you will find the details of your saftey net.

That said I don't know about other health insurers. Hopefully others have some ideas. You may have to keep in mind that one of the rules of the forums is we can't give recommendations for services. I'm not sure if this extends to health insurers as well.

I hope you can find the information you're seeking and the support you need. You're very welcome to reach out here as well if you need support from peers.

Nat

[Quercus]

Hello again ☺

I found this that you might find helpful.

www.comparingexpert.com.au/health-insurance-mental/#providers

I also found out that my insurer like many has mental health coverage as a premium extra. I don't have the funds for this unfortunately.

Hope this helps!

[bassicallyfocused]

Hello! Sorry for the late reply. Wow - I never thought about how psychiatrists could actually wind up cheaper than psychologists for loads of appointments thanks to the Medicare Safety Net. We have a very strange system!

Do you receive therapy from your psychiatrist? In my case, psychiatrists have mostly provided diagnosis, prescription and medication monitoring.

[Quercus]

Hi BassicallyFocused (David),

No problem I'm terrible at prompt replies too. There's no rush here.

Yes my psychiatrist is my therapist too. I attend weekly for psychotherapy. The old school lie down on the couch and tell me what thoughts are in your head kind of therapy. He asks questions but mostly I talk. It has been so helpful to me.

I also like that the person who controls my meds deals with my issues. It means he is able to see for himself how they are working (or not). Recently he suggested a med change based on what I brought up in therapy. I would not have known to talk to a GP about this issue.

Yes the system we have is confusing as hell unfortunately. To many it is a deterrent to seeking help I believe.

I hope this information helps you to make the decisions you need. You're always welcome to join in and talk on any thread if you need support as well ok.

Nat

[bassicallyfocused]

Thank you very much Nat, advice is much appreciated.

Any idea how I might be able to find a more therapy-orientated psychiatrist?

Thanks again.

David

[Quercus]

Hi David,

For me it was just luck (he offerred the therapy) but I have found a website where you can search for therapists here...

www.yourhealthinmind.org/find-a-psychiatrist

In the advanced search you can select the kind of treatment/service you are seeking. Keep in mind though not all professionals are listed. They have to ask to be on the database. Mine for example, is not (a shame actually).

I hope you can find someone local to you here. But I have to say now I know how vital a good medical support team is I would travel it's worth the drive.

So glad you are reaching out for help.

Nat

[bassicallyfocused]

Nat, you're a champion! Thanks so much for all these super helpful replies.

David

[Quercus]

Haha thanks 😊. You're most welcome.

If the website doesn't work out just holler ok... We'll brainstorm something.

And of course if you find the support you're after we always love to hear how you're doing even if it's not positive ok (I hope for the best though).

Nat