Medicare Rebates for Psychology in 2026: A Plain-English Guide

If you’re considering seeing a psychologist, you may be able to access Medicare rebates through the Better Access Initiative. To be eligible, you generally need a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a referral from your GP. Referrals can also be provided by a psychiatrist or paediatrician in some circumstances.

Under Better Access, eligible patients can receive Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual psychology sessions and up to 10 group mental health treatment sessions per calendar year. Psychology services provided under this program are intended for people with a clinically diagnosed mental health condition who require at least a moderate level of mental health support.

Most people begin by seeing their GP, who prepares a Mental Health Treatment Plan and provides a referral. An initial referral can cover up to 6 individual sessions. After these sessions, your psychologist provides a report to your referring practitioner, who reviews your progress and determines whether further sessions are appropriate. If additional treatment is recommended, a new referral can be provided for the remaining sessions available that year, up to the annual limit of 10 sessions.

In 2026, the Medicare rebate for a standard 50-minute psychology session is $149.05 with an eligible clinical psychologist and $101.55 with an eligible general psychologist. To attract this rebate, the appointment must be provided individually and be at least 50 minutes in duration.

It’s important to understand that Medicare does not necessarily cover the full cost of a psychology appointment. Many private clinics charge fees above the Medicare rebate amount, which means there is often an out-of-pocket expense, commonly referred to as a gap fee. Any Medicare-eligible out-of-pocket expenses count towards the Medicare Safety Net, which may provide additional benefits once relevant thresholds are reached.

You do not need a new Mental Health Treatment Plan every year. As long as you remain under the care of your referring practitioner and continue to meet eligibility requirements, new referrals can be issued when needed. If you don’t use all of the sessions on a referral before the end of the year, any unused services can still be used in the following calendar year, subject to your annual Medicare limits.

If you have private health insurance, you will generally need to choose between claiming through Medicare or claiming through your private health fund for the same appointment. Private health insurance cannot be used to top up a Medicare rebate for an individual psychology session.

If you’re unsure whether you’re eligible for Medicare rebates, or you have questions about referrals and Mental Health Treatment Plans, our team can help explain the process and guide you through the next steps.