Psychologists Get More Access to Medicare Funding

HypnosisAustralia, May 2006

By Dr Tracie O'Keefe DCH, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist & Counsellor
Editorial Director of HypnosisAustralia Online.

The Federal Government proposed in March that the mentally ill will have greater access to registered psychologists through the Medicare system. At the moment there has been a gap for some years in care for the long-term mentally ill due to the shortages of psychiatrists. The need for mental health services in Australia is far in excess than what is currently available in the public sector.

Patients will be able to gain those psychological services through a referral from their GPs. It is unclear at this stage, however, who exactly will be classified as the mentally ill. Will they be people who are classified as disabled due to mental illness or will that also include many conditions that generally come under minor neuroses and anxiety disorders?

This will undoubtedly give patients far more access to treatments that are likely to be less medication-based. Another question that will need answering is will the patients be able to be diagnosed as mentally ill or disabled without the interaction with psychiatric services? The philosophical divergence between psychiatry and psychology often places aetiology as being diametrically opposed between the two professions.
Will patients be able to get hypnotherapy through Medicare by registered psychologists with training in that field? In the UK a patient can see a psychologist, counsellor or psychotherapist through the National Health System to get hypnotherapy. Unfortunately in Australia it is unlikely those patients will be able to get hypnotherapy through hypnotherapists, counsellors or psychotherapists any time soon as those professions are still in organisational disarray and not currently government-registered professions.

©HypnosisAustralia, May 2006