A referral from your General Practitioner (GP) is required if you would like to claim a Medicare rebate for sessions.

Two types of Medicare referrals are available. Your GP will assess what is suitable for you:

 

• Mental Health Treatment Plan under the Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiative: this provides rebates for a maximum of ten sessions per calendar year. Once you have completed six sessions, you will be required to return to your GP for a review of the care plan to assess suitability for claiming the remaining four sessions.​
   

• Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan: this provides rebates for a maximum of 40 sessions in a 12-month period. Every ten sessions, you are required to return to your GP for a review of the plan and to assess suitability for claiming rebates for the next ten sessions. After the 20th session of the plan, a referral from either a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist is required to be eligible for claiming the final 20 sessions of the plan.

 

You may also be eligible to claim a rebate via private health insurance; however, this varies across different companies.

It is advisable to check with your private health insurance provider for more information regarding your private health cover.