Can I request a second mental health plan if I plan on changing Psychologists before my 12 months of 6-10 sessions is finished?

[roriblack]

Hello!

Last year my GP wrote up a mental health plan for me and referred me to a psychologist. I attended three sessions, however, the psychologist was extremely expensive for me ($250+ without rebate ~$180 with), also I found I didn't connect with the psychologist and found her rather condescending and quite insensitive (she asked me about sleep hygiene, I mentioned how I drank warm milk before bed and she said she found that disgusting??? not something I want to hear from my psychologist.....). anyways, I stopped going but now I feel like my mental health is getting worse and of course I'm not going to get any better without help so i'm wondering if I can request a new mental health plan from my GP for another psychologist, or would that not be allowed? from what I know the plan allows for 6-10 session in a year, my previous plan was created around 8 months ago, will I have to wait until the 12 months is up?

Thank you guys!

[Speak Your Truth]

Hello roriblack and welcome to the forum. I’m fairly new here and not coping very well with anxiety and depression so not really up to giving you a lot of encouragement. There are a lot of people here on the forum who are very good at offering lots of support and advice though.

i am on a mental health care plan and I changed psychologists after my first session, and continued on with the rest of them (9 sessions) with the second guy. I’m pretty sure that after the 10 sessions end you (and I) can get an extension.

so please don’t wait for the end of the 12 months - head off to your doctor about seeing a different psychologists when you can. I hope it all works out for you rori. I’ll keep an eye out for your posts if there are any more and check in with you,

[Speak Your Truth]

PS: I like to drink warm milk 🥛, with honey 🍯 , sitting up in bed before sleeping too 😉 - but only in the winter ❄️ ☃️💨

[Speak Your Truth]

PPS: you should get a Medicare refund on the $180 or whatever it is. Plus I explained difficult finances and got a further reduction so it only costs me $25 all upeach time

[Speak Your Truth]

If you’re online now or through the night stand-by for another post from me coming soon (there’s a delay)

[Croix]

Dear Roriblack~

I'm sorry things are not so good at the moment. As far as I know a Mental Health Care Plan can entitle a person to 6 sessions with a certain class of mental health professional (not including psychiatrists) or some other mental health service. You get a Medicare rebate, which most probably will not cover all the costs. After a review a further 4 sessions can be approved. This totals 10 sessions and that is the upper limit for any one year.

I think your doctor can steer any unused visits (in your case 3 + a further 4 on review) to a different psychologist or other service within the year.

Have a look at:

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-care-plan

(copy and paste the above line in your browser)

There is some advantages in going to a psychiatrist rather than a psychologist, even though you do not get the MHCP rebate, as there is an annual threshold above which one's medical expenses attract some relief.

I'd suggest you discuss all this with your doctor and as Speak Your Truth says mentioning financial hardship cannot hurt.

Croix

[White_Rose]

Hello Roriblack

Welcome to the BB forum. I am sorry to know your MH is causing you difficulties. It is a good idea to change psychologists if you don't get on with the first. Changing to a different medical professional is always a good move if you do not feel comfortable with the person you are currently seeing. It is certainly allowed to do this on the same mental health plan, but your GP will need to send a new referral to the next psychologist and amend your current plan.

It is my understanding that a plan is valid for the calendar year. If your current plan was approved last year you are entitled to a new plan and to choose a different psychologist. It is also possible to find a psychologist who will bulk bill, which means it costs nothing. If you have reached the Medicare safety net limit your future medical consultations will cost very little. You will need to check with Medicare about this as there are several different levels. Easiest to pop into a Medicare office if there is one near you. You can phone but I invariably find there is a long waiting time to speak to someone. Not sure if they offer a phone back service.

Croix has a good point about psychiatrists. I see a psychiatrist every week, well unless she wants a holiday. Because they charge high fees and initially I get a rebate leaving me a large out of pocket expense, I reach my safety net limit quite quickly and my psych fee is about $18 after rebate. You can continue to see your psychiatrist anytime you both agree there is a need and not worry about being limited to ten visits per year.

Your psychologist fee out of pocket expense will count towards your safety net limit. I understand that you now pay $70 which is expensive when your income is not large. Speak to your GP who can tell you if your plan is already out of date and you need a new plan. You are entitled to a new plan under the same conditions every year for as long as your GP and psychologist think it necessary. Usually the GP is guided by the psychologist in this.

I hope this clarifies your options. Please let us know how you go. There may well be someone reading this who will benefit from your knowledge.

Mary