Getting a Mental Health Care Plan

A Mental Health Care Plan is the most common way people access rebated sessions with a psychologist or counsellor in Australia, and it’s a shorter conversation than most people expect.

How to ask for one

Book a standard GP appointment and say plainly that you’d like a Mental Health Care Plan — you don’t need to justify it beyond how you’ve been going. Your GP will usually ask a few questions about your symptoms and how long they’ve been going on, sometimes using a short standardised questionnaire. This isn’t a test to pass; it’s just how the plan gets documented.

What it actually gets you

A referral, under Medicare, for a set number of rebated sessions with a registered mental health provider — historically up to 10 per calendar year, though it’s worth confirming the current number with your GP since rebate arrangements do shift. The rebate covers part of the session cost, not all of it; the gap depends on the provider’s fee.

A few things worth knowing

• The plan doesn’t lock you into a particular psychologist or counsellor — you choose who you see.
• You’ll usually need a review with your GP partway through to continue accessing the remaining sessions.
• If cost is the main barrier, ask your GP or the provider directly about bulk-billing availability before you book.

It’s a fairly small piece of admin for something that unlocks real, ongoing support — worth the ten minutes it takes.