Lived Experience Forum

[Zoe7]

What can 'we' access and how does it all work!

@Phoenix_Rising @CheerBear @Sans911 @Former-Member @Former-Member @Former-Member @Former-Member  @outlander 

anyone I have missed can you please tag in for me 

[Former-Member]

@Sans911 @Phoenix_Rising

You had me all excited for a minute there about rebates. To the best of my knowledge, the maximum number of rebated sessions a year is 10 under a Mental Health Care Plan, then an additional 5 sessions (at a much lower rebate) under a Chronic Disease GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangement.

If anyone knows of anything else, I’d be really interested to hear more. 

[Phoenix_Rising]

@Former-Member, my understanding is the same as yours and like you, I'd love to hear about any scheme where you can get more than 10 medicare funded sessions per year (I do know about the extra 5 re. chronic illness, also ATAPS give 12 but not all psychologists are registered for that and you can only use ATAPS OR medicare in a year).

My brain is now hurting from this conversation. I bet @Sans911's is too! Sorry @outlander for having a tangential conversation here. @Sans911 and @Former-Member maybe if anyone has any further thoughts on this topic we can chat about it out on the ocean.

[Phoenix_Rising]

Are you sure @outlander? Let me know if you want me to take the conversation elsewhere.

Ok, so, let's start over...@Sans911 (who I think just said she had to go out) or anyone else, do you know of any scheme whereby you can access more than 10 sessions with a psychologist in a year wherein you get some or all (depending on whether the psychologist charges above the set medicare fee) of the cost of the session covered by medicare?

Look at me @Faith-and-Hope I'm building a bridge.

[Faith-and-Hope]

Wtg @Phoenix_Rising ..... ❣️

[Zoe7]

To further add to the confusion here lol - you can access an initial 10 sessions under MHCP in 1 year (not a calendar year but in 52 weeks) and then a further 10 in 'special circumstances' - but this can only be done 1 month after the last of the first 10 sessions have been attended. The rebate for these are the same as the initial 10. The chronic disease sessions (as already stated) are at a much lower rebate and can also be accessed before or after the additional 10 sessions.

This is what I had to do - and after alot of 'confusion' between GP and psychologist it was all finally sorted and then my psychologist bulk-billed me because I could not continue to pay the gap (which I know alot of psychologist will not do even though it is an option for them).

[CheerBear]

I"ve been reading along with interest and only know of ATAPS also @Phoenix_Rising (and all reading too) however I have seen my psych more through something else (maybe through a chronic disease initiative) but am similarly really keen on finding out more. I am wondering if this might be a question for it's own thread as anything extra out there has the potential to be great news for many (as you mentioned). I would start it but would be worried that might be kind of creepy considering I haven't really been participating in this conversation and then I look like I am just lurking about (which is pretty much what this response may seem anyway 😛 )

Speaking of lurking about, have been reading along @outlander and thinking of you, hoping very much that you can work out something that feels right for you with your medication/weight issues before they become anything more serious 

Back to lurking/lingering now 🙂

[Phoenix_Rising]

That does add to the confusion @Zoe7. I have never heard of that. Years ago I know you could get up to 18 sessions in a year (I did that every year for a few years) and then it was pulled back to 10. I thought the 10 was super strict now, with no leeway for any special circumstances.

Now let me make it even MORE confusing. You seem to be saying @Zoe7 that it is 10 sessions in 52 weeks and then you have to have a 3 month break before accessing another 10 (in special circumstances), is that right? When I saw therapist take one, we started in October and so I got one MHCP for 2015 and then another one in January 2016 such that I had a continuous stream of 20 funded sessions with her. Thus my GP is under the impression that it is per calander year. My brain hurts!!!!!

[Phoenix_Rising]

@CheerBear I agree that we should start a thread about this. I'm getting sleepy and need to head off in five minutes so if you or @Former-Member or @Zoe7 or @Sans911 want to start it, that would be super. CheerBear, you could NEVER seem creepy. You are a care bear! Whoever heard of a creepy care bear!!!

[Zoe7]

Definitely not per calendar year @Phoenix_Rising My psychologist was also under the impression it was per calendar year but my GP was adamant it was in a 52 week period (and after alot of phone calls to medicare and betweern GP and psychologist it was understood that it was per 52 week year). Therefore if you had your first session on the 1st January you could not access another 10 sessions for a new NHCP until 1st January the next year.

Dot points needed here for little turtle as an example:

• initial MHCP began on 1st January 2017
• all 10 session used by 1st March 2017
• another 10 sessions under 'revised' MHCP (not new one) can begin on 1st June 2017
• a new MHCP can then not be accessed until 1st January 2018
• Chronic disease sessions are in addition to these MHCP sessions