Psychologists Crack the Golden Seal of Medicare Rebates

HypnosisAustralia, November 2006

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

The Prime Minister John Howard on behalf of the government announced on 9 October 2006 that the public would be able to receive up to 12 sessions a year from November with a psychologist partly rebatable from Medicare. For each visit the patient would be able to claim back a large part of the fee charged. This is the largest non-medical rebate ever awarded to any profession. The Australian Psychological Society (APS) guideline fee is presently $180 per hour.

The APS website quotes:
"Key components of the Government's announcement include:
" Psychology services under Medicare can be provided to people with 'an assessed mental disorder' that is being managed by a GP under a GP Mental Health Care Plan or a psychiatrist assessment and management plan, or on direct referral from a psychiatrist or a paediatrician (for treatment of a child)
" Psychology services under Medicare are limited to a maximum of 12 individual sessions per client per calendar year, with a review to the referring doctor required after the initial six sessions. Clients will also be eligible for up to 12 group session services, where appropriate, in a calendar year
" All registered psychologists can charge the scheduled fee of $62.50 (20-50-minute session) or $88.20 (more than a 50 minute session) to clients, who will receive a Medicare rebate of $53.15 and $75.00 respectively. Registered psychologists who are eligible to provide the clinical psychology items can charge the scheduled fee of $88.20 (30-50 minute session) or $129.40 (more than a 50 minute session) to clients, who will receive a Medicare rebate of $75.00 and $110.00 respectively." (http://www.psychology.org.au/news/media_releases/10.1_171.asp)

The bold move by the government is meant to ease the glut in the mental health system in Australian where officially there is a profound shortage of psychiatrists and a lot of desperate people unable to afford mental health services.

This monumental decision is a breakthrough for registered psychologists in cracking the medical profession's hold on Medicare funds in Australia. Presentations to the government were also put to the government last year by organisations such as Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) for counsellors and psychotherapists to be included under such a system but the government decided not to go with that option.

Psychologists must be trained to at least Master's level of education in psychology and undergo considerable supervised training. As yet, although many counsellors and psychotherapists and some hypnotherapists are trained to that educational level, it is not obligatory. Also psychologists are required to be registered with the government but no such system exists for cousellors, psychotherapists or hypnotherapists.

This move will allow many psychologists who are well trained as hypnotherapists to advertise as hypnotherapists and for their clients to get Medicare rebates for that service; even though it will be billed under the item number for psychology. The danger, however, is that many psychologists with very little training, experience or supervision in hypnotherapy will also be jumping on the bandwagon and advertising as hypnotherapists, producing poor client outcomes. It is unlikely that the APS would monitor the hypnotherapy situations just as the Australian Medical Association does not monitor doctors who practise hypnosis.

The reality is that only when counsellors, psychotherapists and hypnotherapists are required to qualify at a national uniform standard will the government even think about offering Medicare rebates to these professions.

©HypnosisAustralia, November 2006