Guide to Mental Health Care Plans
Discover how to get mental health care plans that can save you money. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about accessing and utilising mental health care plans effectively.
Psychologist Hannah
8/22/20266 min read
Guide to Mental Health Care Plans
If you have been searching "psychologist for kids near me" or "child therapy Gold Coast Medicare rebate," you have probably already worked out that cost is often the deciding factor in whether a family gets help at all. The good news is that psychology support for your child does not have to come entirely out of pocket. Through a Mental Health Care Plan, most Australian families can access Medicare-rebated sessions with a registered psychologist.
This guide walks you through exactly how a Mental Health Care Plan works, how much you can claim back, and what the process looks like from your first GP visit to your first session at Mindaras Psychology Clinic in Helensvale. We work with families across the Northern Gold Coast, including Coomera, Oxenford, Pacific Pines, Hope Island, Ormeau, Upper Coomera and Nerang, and this is one of the most common questions parents ask us before booking.
What Is a Mental Health Care Plan?
A Mental Health Care Plan, sometimes called a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), is a document your GP prepares after assessing your or your child's mental health needs. It sets out a treatment approach and is what activates your Medicare rebate for psychology sessions. It is separate from the referral itself, though the two are usually organised at the same appointment (Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026).
This plan is part of the Better Access initiative, a scheme that has been running since 2006 and is designed to make mental health treatment more affordable and accessible for people across Australia, including children and adolescents (Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026).
How Many Sessions Does Medicare Cover?
Under Better Access, eligible patients can claim a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual psychology sessions per calendar year, running from 1 January to 31 December (Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026; Services Australia, 2026). Your GP will usually refer you for an initial course of sessions, commonly up to six, and then review progress before referring you for the remainder. This review step is a genuine part of how the scheme works, not just paperwork, so it is worth booking that follow-up GP appointment as soon as it is due rather than leaving a gap in your child's therapy.
How Much Can You Claim Back?
The Medicare rebate amount depends on the type of psychologist you see. As of July 2026, the rebate is $101.55 per session for a registered psychologist (Talked, 2026). This is set nationally by Medicare and reviewed periodically, so the exact figure can shift slightly year to year. All of the psychologists at Mindaras hold general registration, so this is the rebate that applies to sessions with our team.
The rebate is not the full session fee. There will usually be a gap payment, which is the difference between the psychologist's fee and the Medicare rebate. This varies from clinic to clinic, so it is always worth checking fees before you book. If your family's out-of-pocket mental health costs add up across the year, you may also become eligible for the Extended Medicare Safety Net, which can further reduce costs (Australian Psychological Society, n.d.).
Step by Step: How to Get Started
Book a longer appointment with your GP. A standard consultation is often too short to properly prepare a Mental Health Care Plan, so ask for a long appointment and mention that you want to discuss a mental health plan for yourself or your child.
Talk through what is going on. Your GP will ask some questions about how you or your child have been going, sometimes using a brief screening questionnaire. You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis already worked out. That is part of what this appointment is for.
Receive your plan and referral. Your GP will prepare the Mental Health Care Plan and refer you to a psychologist, either by name or generally if you have not yet chosen one.
Book your first session. Bring your plan and referral to your first appointment, since Medicare rebates cannot be claimed for sessions that happened before the plan and referral were in place.
Claim your rebate. Most clinics can process this on the spot, or you can submit a claim yourself through Medicare.
Review with your GP. Once your initial sessions are used, a short review appointment with your GP allows the remaining sessions to be referred.
Does Medicare Cover Therapy for Children?
Yes. Children and adolescents are eligible for Medicare-rebated psychology sessions in exactly the same way as adults, through a GP-prepared Mental Health Care Plan (Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026). In some cases, a GP may refer a child to a paediatrician first for further assessment, and the paediatrician can then also provide a referral for psychological services under Better Access (Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026). This pathway is common for families exploring support for anxiety, behavioural concerns, trauma, ADHD-related difficulties, or the emotional impact of a significant life event.
Getting professional support early matters. Research consistently links earlier intervention for childhood mental health and trauma-related difficulties with better long-term outcomes, while delays are associated with a greater risk of more entrenched difficulties later on (Chen et al., 2018). A Mental Health Care Plan is one of the most practical ways to remove the cost barrier that often causes families to put off that first appointment.
A Few Things Parents Often Get Wrong
"The plan expires after a few months." Not automatically. A Mental Health Care Plan itself does not have a fixed expiry date. What matters is how many rebated sessions have been used within the calendar year and whether a current referral is in place (Services Australia, 2026).
"We need a brand new plan every January." Not necessarily. Many families only need a review or an updated referral, not an entirely new plan. It is worth checking with your GP rather than assuming.
"Once the 10 sessions are used, that's it." For many families, ongoing therapy continues privately once Medicare-rebated sessions are used for the year, and a new allocation becomes available the following January. Your psychologist can help you plan around this so therapy continues without unnecessary interruption.
Why Families Choose Mindaras for Medicare-Rebated Psychology
At Mindaras, we know that navigating Medicare paperwork is the last thing families want to think about when a child is struggling. Our Helensvale clinic supports families right across the Northern Gold Coast with clear, upfront guidance on Mental Health Care Plans, session fees and rebate amounts, so there are no surprises once you arrive. Our team is happy to talk you through your specific situation before you even book, whether that is for your child, a teenager, yourself, or your whole family, including exactly what the Medicare rebate looks like when you see a registered psychologist at Mindaras.
Beyond individual therapy, Mindaras offers a full range of psychological services, including anxiety and mood support, trauma and EMDR therapy, ADHD and ASD assessments, and parenting support, all delivered with an evidence-based and individually tailored approach.
Ready to Take the First Step?
If you are considering psychology support for your child or family and want to understand how a Mental Health Care Plan could work for you, get in touch with Mindaras Psychology Clinic through our Contact page. Our team can answer your questions about Medicare rebates, fees and availability, and help you find the right starting point. While you are there, take a look through the full range of services Mindaras offers the Northern Gold Coast community. The right support might be closer, and more affordable, than you think.
References
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026). Better Access initiative. https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/better-access-initiative
Australian Psychological Society. (n.d.). Fact sheet: Medicare rebates for mental health services. https://psychology.org.au/psychology/medicare-rebates-psychological-services/medicare-faqs-for-the-public
Chen, R., Gillespie, A., Zhao, Y., Xi, Y., Ren, Y., & McLean, L. (2018). The efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in children and adults who have experienced complex childhood trauma: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 534. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00534
Services Australia. (2026). MBS billing rules for mental health services. Australian Government. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/mbs-billing-rules-for-mental-health-services
Talked. (2026). Medicare rebate for psychology sessions. https://www.talked.com.au/blog/medicare-rebate-for-psychology-sessions
This article is for general information only and does not replace individual clinical or financial advice. Medicare rebate amounts and eligibility criteria are set by the Australian Government and are subject to change. Please confirm current rates and your personal eligibility with your GP or via Services Australia.