A referral in the form of a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) is required from either a GP or Psychiatrist in order to claim a Medicare rebate for up to 20 sessions per year.

You are however welcome to self-refer. Self-referred clients without a MHCP will be required to pay the full fee of the appointment.

If you wish to access a Medicare Rebate you will need a referral from either your GP or Psychiatrist. You will need to attend them for an appointment to discuss your concerns.  Following their assessment, they may provide you with either:

• A Mental Health Care Plan

A MHCP allows you to access 6 sessions of psychological therapy with a Medicare rebate.  After the 6th session you can return to see your referrer to discuss your progress and continuing needs. Your referrer can then choose to provide you with a referral for an additional 4 sessions of psychological therapy. This allows you to claim for 10 sessions of psychological therapy in the calendar year.

Until June 2022, you may also be eligible to obtain an additional 10 sessions due to the COVID-19 pandemic additional mental health support sessions. 

You may therefore be eligible to obtain a Medicare rebate for up to 20 psychological sessions in a calendar year.

You will be required to pay the full fee of the appointment and will then be partially refunded through Medicare. Your out-of-pocket expense is the difference between the fee for the psychological service and the rebate that Medicare pays.

Please bring a copy of this paperwork to your appointment.

• an enhanced Primary Care Plan or
• an Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan

More information about Medicare rebates can be found at https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/better-access-initiative

Please be advised that Kate MacDonald is not an eating disorder specialist and is unable to accept referrals primarily for this issue.

Some private health funds cover some of the costs of psychological services. Your insurer can provide you with personalised advice based on your package.

Please contact us on (07) 3924 6633 during business hours to make an appointment.  Messages cannot unfortunately be left after hours.

Our friendly Practice Manager will ask you some basic questions to help you to decide which psychologist would best meet your needs. This would be a good time to mention if you have specific preferences regarding the gender of the therapist, preferred therapy style or preferred day and time for future appointments.

If you have any specific requirements please do not hesitate to ask. 

Our Practice Manager will advise you of the appointment fee and out of pocket expense for the appointment.

Please check the ‘Contact’ tab in this website for directions to the clinic and parking advice.

Please arrive 10 minutes early to complete some intake paperwork prior to your appointment.

Please bring any referral information including a MHCP.

You will see the psychologist for 50 minutes.  During this time they will collect information about your current difficulties and personal history. This information will be used to discuss your treatment goals, suitable treatment approaches and the frequency of future appointments.

Our Practice Manager will process the full payment for your appointment and book future appointments. Dandelion Suites is a cashless business and accepts only debit / credit cards. Please bring your Medicare / Private Health Care Card with you if you would like our staff to process your eligible rebates.

Dandelion Suites has a 24-hour cancellation policy. You will be asked to provide your credit card details to secure your first appointment. These details will be held on our encrypted system. Cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice will incur the 100% fee. 

Appointments may be rescheduled in the same week with no fee where possible.

Appointments can be rescheduled at no fee with more than 24 hours’ notice.

In line with the current pandemic arrangements, if you are unwell with any respiratory symptoms or fever, please do not attend the clinic. Whilst face-to-face appointments are preferred, zoom sessions can be arranged in the case of illness.