A Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) allows eligible Australians to access Medicare rebates for psychological therapy sessions through a referral from their GP.
If you are considering seeing a psychologist via telehealth or in Manly on the Northern Beaches, the process generally works as follows:
Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP)
As at May 2026, the current Medicare rebate for clinical psychology is $145.25, and increases on the 1st July annually.
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Step 1. Visit your GP to obtain a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP)
Get a MHCP from your GP (this must contain the GP’s signature and a date, often on a referral letter alongside the MHCP). Only once you have this can I process rebates from the date of the correspondence, for appointments after that date. You complete outcome measures before your 1st appointment.
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Step 2. Initial sessions & review
Before the session you complete the outcome measures, and in the 6th session we discuss the work to date, and write back to the GP with outcomes, and request the remaining 4 sessions.
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Step 3. Review after 10 sessions
After the 10th session the same outcomes are repeated, we discuss and write back to the GP. You can continue to have appointments, but these are either paid in full yourself, or rebated with your private health insurance.
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Step 4. Renewing your MHCP
On the 12 month anniversary of the previous MHCP your GP can give you a new MHCP; and the process repeats from Step 1 above.
Reports are often used to:
If you have questions about Mental Health Care Plans, Medicare rebates or booking an appointment with Dr Gill SH Walker, you are welcome to get in touch.