Referrals & Plans
1. What is a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP)?
A Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) is a plan provided by a General Practitioner (GP) or psychiatrist to support individuals with mental health concerns. If eligible, you're able to claim 10 Medicare rebates per calendar year.
A referral can be different from a MHCP therefore, each plan must follow the current Medicare rules for you to claim Medicare rebates. If details are missing or incorrect, please update them prior to the appointment you wish to claim Medicare rebates. There is no guarantee of a Medicare rebate if a MHCP is incomplete. Please check the Referrers tab for more information.
Please note: You are not required to have a referral / MHCP if you wish to book with our psychologist.
2. What are the fees if I am eligible for Medicare rebates / have a MHCP?
The Australian Psychological Society's recommended fee for a 46-60 minute session is currently $311.
Our session fee is $271.85 which is to be paid upfront prior to your appointment. A Medicare rebate of $141.85 will be processed after each session and will be deposited back into the bank account you have with Medicare. Therefore an out-of-pocket "gap" fee of $130 will be incurred.
3. What if I do not have Medicare or do not wish to get a MHCP?
If you do not have Medicare or do not wish to get a MHCP, you will be required to pay the upfront $260 session fee per 50-minute session.
If you are eligible for private health rebates, you may be able to use your health fund card at the time of the appointment to claim rebates directly. You will only need to pay the gap fee if your private health fund has covered a certain amount. Please check with your private health fund directly for your coverage.
Additional Services
4. How am I charged for additional services such as reports?
Reports are considered on a case-by-case basis. You will have to check if your clinician is able to provide the requested document. Lengthy reports, applications, and supporting documents incur APS recommended report writing rates. You will be quoted with an estimated duration it'll take to complete the document and a final cost will be provided upon completion. As standard practice, documents are released upon payment.
Documentations/consultations that take less than 15 mins as determined by the clinician (often completed in session) may be free of charge.
Appointments
5. Do you offer Telehealth or telephone appointments?
Yes, SVM Psychology provides Telehealth and telephone services to clients. The fees will be the same as Medicare and private health appointments.
Please notify admin via email ahead of time if you wish to book or change an existing appointment to Telehealth/telephone.
6. How long does each therapy session take?
Your initial appointment is between 50-60 minutes. Subsequent sessions are 50-mins long.
New clients are required to attend 5-10mins earlier to check forms and documents.
7. I am a new client, what do I need to complete before my first appointment?
Prior to accessing our service, our admin team will complete a brief intake to ascertain your concern. If our service is suitable to your needs, you will be required to complete the following documents prior to your first appointment:
1. New Client Consent Form
2. DASS-21 Questionnaire
3. Provide us a copy of your GP referral letter referencing a MHCP, if eligible.
If you are unable to complete the above online, you will need to attend your first appointment 10 minutes earlier.
Alternatively, after the initial clinical assessment, if we are not the right service for you, you will be provided with other suitable options to ensure you are supported.
Late Notice Policy
Our late notice policy follows the Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommendations.
If you provide more than 48 hours' notice before your appointment, you will not incur a fee and may reschedule the appointment.
However, no-shows, cancellations, and rescheduling with less than 48 hours' notice will incur fees as follows:
0 - 24 hours prior: Full session fee
25 - 48 hours prior: 50% of session fee
Please note: Medicare and private health funds do not cover late notice fees.
Although we understand that there are unforeseen circumstances that require a late cancellation, without enough notice, these appointments can be difficult to fill and impact many people.
Late cancellation or no-show impacts:
1. The psychologist who uses their time to prepare for the upcoming session.
2. The client who may be impacting their progression of therapy.
3. Another client who is on the waiting list for an urgent appointment with the psychologist.
We appreciate it when you're able to provide as much notice as you possibly can. Only those with a dated medical certificate or doctors letter indicating a reason for non-attendance are eligible for a waived cancelation/no-show fee. Please note that if you agree to engage in our service, you have read, understood and signed an informed consent to our policies.