All health funds will cover psychiatric care costs in their hospital policies. This is generally referred to as a restricted benefit which means that no matter what level of hospital cover you have, it will pay a benefit towards the cost of being treated as a private patient in a public hospital. If you want psychiatric care with no restrictions, gold tier hospital cover is the only tier that must offer full cover. Private health insurance won't cover you for out of hospital psychiatric services though.
Top extras policies can give you access to therapy or counselling sessions with a psychologist without the need for a referral. It can also cover you for other out-of-hospital services including dental, optical and physio.
Hospital insurance covers inpatient care. This means you're covered when you check into a mental health facility to be in the direct care of medical professionals. A policy can pay for your hospital accommodation and a portion of your medical fees. It can cover the treatment of the following:
Medicare offers cover for some mental health services but there there are limits:
All of these hospital policies cover you for psychiatric services as an impatient, while psychology consultations are covered by extras.
All prices are based on a single individual with less than $93,000 income and living in Sydney.
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Looking for the right policy can be tricky. Here are some things worth looking out for that'll make searching easier.
There are several places and resources that can provide mental health services and psychiatric support in Australia. We've listed some below:
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