For many years, the number of psychology sessions Australians could access under Medicare each calendar year was capped at 10. This arbitrary limit had no regard for the person's circumstances or treatment needs.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It is not evidence based, and provided limited scope for implementing effective treatment. It hobbled a psychologist's ability to provide effective treatment.
Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic the federal government increased the number of Medicare funded psychology sessions from 10 to 20 per annum. These extra sessions for psychology treatment are more consistent with evidence-based practice. It allowed psychologists to more successfully treat and discharge patients.
Concerningly, the 10 COVID-19 psychology items will cease on December 31, 2022. This is a huge blow to mental health consumers and comes at a time of increased stress and distress, withwidespread aftereffects of catastrophic floods, the threat of bush fires and the continuing pandemic.
Psychology associations have been advocating for a continuation of 20 Medicare rebated sessions for psychology but are yet to have a satisfactory response from the federal government.
The Minister for Health, Mark Butler, has written to me on this issue, stating that he will not decide on the number of Medicare rebated sessions for psychology until he has the results of an evaluation of the Better Access initiative. With this evaluation not expected to conclude until December 2022, the timing is unfortunate. It gives very little time for adequate and well considered decision making by government.
It does not give adequate scope for psychologists to ensure continuity of care or treatment planning. And it does not give those receiving treatment adequate certainty about their treatment options from next month.
READ MORE:
Surely an extension of 20 sessions is reasonable, until such time as decisions have been drawn from a well-considered review of the results from the Better Access Evaluation?
It is now December, yet we do not know what treatment options will be available from January 1, 2023. Treatment plans are predicated on the number of available sessions. With uncertainty about the number of sessions available from January, psychologists' capacity to implement treatment plans are compromised.
To compound this, the uncertainty is occurring over the Christmas season, a time which brings increased stress and distress for many. The statistics tell us that family conflict and domestic violence occur with higher frequency over the Christmas season. This is when people most need mental health support, and certainty in the continuity of their care.
Another complication is that when the 10 COVID-19 items for psychology are terminated from January 1, 2023, patients will be required to attend their general practitioner to request new mental health treatment plans. With many thousands of Australians suddenly needing new plans, because their partly used plans will become redundant, the impost on our GPs will increase, at a time when they have reduced availability.
Limiting the availability of psychology treatment options in the community, within private practices, will have a flow on effect to the public mental health system which is already over-burdened with demand. Presentations to emergency departments will increase under these conditions. Psychology practices will find their forward planning compromised, and clients whose mental health treatment plan has suddenly terminated, will face out of pocket expenses.
Given recent statistics released by the Health Department which reveal that 50 per cent of psychology items are bulk billed the impact of sudden out of pocket expenses will be wide spread across the population.
Concerningly, termination of the 20 psychology sessions will have greatest impact on clients who are disadvantaged and unable to pay out of pocket costs, as well as families already struggling with increases in the cost of living.
Psychologists, and our patients, hope for a quick resolution, and continuation of an adequate number of Medicare rebated psychology sessions. Surely rebated psychology sessions should be held at adequate levels, to serve the mental health needs of our community, particularly given that it is known by Mr Butler that almost half of all Australians will experience mental ill-health at some point in their lives.
The work of psychologists in private practice reduces the burden on the public health system, and if, as Mr Butler says, mental health care is a top priority of this government, it is imperative that they prove that commitment, and put money where it counts.
- Dr Marjorie Collins is a clinical psychologist and the president of the Institute of Clinical Psychologists.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
