Mental health
News
Changes to the Better Access Initiative – effective 1 November 2011
FACT SHEET - Changes to rebates for GP Mental Health Treatment Plans (55.3KB)
FACT SHEET - Allied Mental Health Services (55.3KB)
New Item numbers and rebates for preparation of a GP MHTP
From 1 November 2011, Medicare items 2702 and 2710 will be removed from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for the preparation of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), and replaced with four new time-tiered items – 2700, 2701, 2715 and 2717.
Patients who have previously seen a GP who has completed mental health skills training (MHST) accredited by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) and accessed item 2710 prior to the funding changes, will now be able to access item 2715 (for a consultation between 20 and 39 minutes) or item 2717 (for a consultation of 40 minutes or more).
Patients who have previously seen a GP who has not completed accredited MHST and accessed item 2702 prior to the funding changes, will now have access to item 2700 (for a consultation between 20 and 39 minutes) or item 2701 (for a consultation of 40 minutes or more).
Further details regarding these changes are available in the fact sheet provided above.
Changes to rebates for a GP mental health review and consultation
There will also be changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule fee structure for the GP Mental Health Review item 2712 and the GP Mental Health Consultation item 2713.
Changes to allied mental health services under Better Access
In addition, from 1 November 2011 a patient's calendar year entitlement for allied mental health services under the Better Access initiative will change from 12 services per year to 10. Individuals will also be entitled to 10 group sessions per calendar year in addition to their individual allied mental heath services.
Patients can be referred for an initial course of treatment (a maximum of 6 services in any one referral, but may be less depending on the referral and the patient's clinical need) to a maximum of 10 services per calendar year. Individuals, who have already accessed 10 or more individual and 10 or more group allied mental health services by 1 November 2011, will not be eligible for additional services until 1 January 2012.
Further details regarding these changes are available in the fact sheet provided above.