Health Triangle is a psychological service and operates as a private billing practice, which means clients are required to pay the full session fee unless their fees are subsidised by an organisation.
Clients with a referral letter and a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from their GP may be eligible for a Medicare rebate, provided their Medicare card is valid and their GP has completed, signed, dated, and lodged both the referral letter and MHCP with Medicare before the first session. Medicare rebates are available for up to 10 sessions per calendar year, with GPs generally referring for 6 initial sessions, followed by a review and up to 4 additional sessions.
Accessing psychological services at Health Triangle does not require a Medicare referral; however, private patients without a referral or MHCP will not be able to claim a rebate. Please note that Medicare has specific requirements under the Better Access to Psychologists initiative, and while there is no single referral template, referral letters must include: the client’s name, date of birth, address, diagnosis, current medications, signature and date of the referring practitioner, and signed consent from the client.
A MHCP may be sent with the referral, but Medicare requires that a referral letter be provided regardless, and it remains valid until the referred number of sessions is completed. If the GP does not provide a copy of the MHCP, it is helpful for the referral letter to note that a MHCP has been completed. Every client is eligible for a new MHCP once per year, with reviews recommended every three months, and unless the MHCP is correctly dated, signed, and billed to Medicare, it is not valid, which would compromise the client’s ability to claim a rebate. More details about the Better Access initiative are available on the Australian Government website.
Clients may also use private health insurance to claim rebates depending on their level of coverage; in this case, only a referral letter is required and a MHCP is not necessary. Because rebate amounts vary between health funds, clients should confirm their eligibility with their insurer before booking, and rebates cannot be claimed from both Medicare and private health for the same session.
In addition, Health Triangle accepts referrals through WorkCover, TAC, NDIS, Victims of Crime (VOCAT), DHHS, Anglicare, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Counselling & Development Services, and other private or public sector agencies, provided prior written approval for psychology services has been obtained. If approval is confirmed, the session will be billed directly to the agency and no payment will be required from the client; however, if the agency declines payment, the client is responsible for the full session cost.
Importantly, having an approved claim does not automatically mean psychology services are covered, so it is always best to obtain written approval specifically for psychology sessions before attending to avoid out-of-pocket costs. If the approved fund does not cover the full cost, the client is responsible for any gap fees, so please check this with us before booking.
Referrals may be emailed or faxed to our practice, after which we will contact the client directly using the details provided, or clients may be given the referral documents and contact us themselves. We do our best to minimise waiting times, and if urgent appointments are required, this should be clearly noted in the referral letter.