When do I need to visit my GP for a review?
You'll need to book in a review with your referring GP after your sixth and tenth session with your psychologist.
Under a GP-referred Mental Health Treatment Plan you may be eligible for up to 10 sessions with your psychologist each calendar year.
Your initial GP referral can allow a maximum of six sessions with your psychologist.
After your sixth session you will need to visit your GP again for a Mental Health Review.
All up, this brings you to a total of 10 sessions, the most Medicare subsidises in a calendar year.
Scheduling your GP appointment
You will need to visit either the same GP who provided you the original referral or another GP in the same practice/clinic as your first GP. Medicare won't allow you to go to a different GP practice for your review appointments.
It is important that each time you visit your GP for a Mental Health Review appointment that your GP correctly bills the appointment to Medicare using one of the following MBS item codes:
- 2712 - In-person GP appointment
- 92114 - Video telehealth GP appointment
- 92126 - Telephone telehealth GP appointment
If your appointment with your GP is not billed with one of the above codes Medicare will not be able to cover you for any further appointments with your psychologist.
What is a GP Mental Health Review?
A GP Mental Health Review provides an opportunity for your GP to see how you're progressing against the goals originally outlined in your Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Your GP will check in on how you're going, ensure you've got information on who to contact in an emergency and ask you to complete the same assessment tool they used in your original appointment to monitor your progress.
It is recommended that you have an initial review with your GP between four weeks and six months after your original Mental Health Treatment Plan was created.
Unlike your original appointment with your GP, a Mental Health Review appointment can be a shorter/standard length appointment.
Your GP can complete a Mental Health Review appointment in person or over the phone.
Summary
Use this as a guide to determine when you will need to visit your GP for a review appointment.
| GP appointment | Sessions with your psychologist |
|---|---|
| Initial GP referral | 6 sessions |
| First GP review | 4 more sessions |