Hi Bradley,
I just noticed your thread title, because I saw a psychiatrist who bulk billed me. It seems like you've been getting some great suggestions from Paul.
A couple of years ago I was unemployed and struggling financially, and also was told I needed longer term therapy (i.e. more than the 10 sessions with a psychologist you get on a mental health care plan) so I searched the psychiatrists in my local area to find someone who would bulk bill me. I've seen her for almost three years now, initially paying no gap (i.e. 100% bulk billed) and now a $20 gap. My psychiatrist has an interest in therapy so offers 50 mins sessions, note that some psychiatrists are more into medication offer shorter appointments. I think it was crucial to see someone longer term and helped me build trust that spread out to all the relationships in my life. I think medicare allow 50 bulk billed sessions with a psychiatrist in a calendar year. And last year I went over that number and my psychiatrist used a different medicare code to get even further sessions.
Lately I've changed to a psychologist for therapy. I've used up all my ten sessions and now pay $40 a session, which I can afford through the part time work I'm doing.
In terms of finding out if they bulk bill, I'd suggest that you ring the reception of the ones you found online and check whether they are accepting new patients, when the next appointment is (often 6-8 week wait initially, or even longer) and then also ask whether they are open to bulk billing. This is what I did. You can book an appointment before you have the referral - you just bring the referral on the day. And then in my first appointment we discussed my financial circumstances and she agreed to the bulk billing.
Good luck with it Bradley.
Kind wishes, Christina
