Medicare can cover you for up to ten sessions with a psychiatrist per year, but you'll need a referral from your GP.
Private health insurance can be great if you want more help. All hospital insurance policies are required to include 'restricted' cover for psychiatric services — this means you'll pay a limited amount towards treatment. Extras insurance can also cover counselling sessions with a psychologist and you won't need a referral either.
The table below lists all the extras insurance policies that cover you for psychology and counselling. The sub limit is the total amount you can claim over 12 months.
All hospital insurance policies provide restricted cover for psychiatric services, so you'll still have some out of pocket expenses. If you want unrestricted cover though, you'll need a top tier silver or gold level policy, so we suggest selecting the 'Better Cover' option.
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Mental health refers to how you feel emotionally and psychologically and how you're able to weather the ups and downs of life. It covers all of the following:
You can think of mental illness as a health problem that significantly affects any of the abilities mentioned above. According to the Black Dog Institute, a leading non-profit Australian mental health organisation, one in five Australians is living with a mental illness at any given time.
Mental health issues can range from a short bout of work-related stress, to debilitating schizophrenia. In addition, there is a lot of overlap between the types of illnesses. For example, it is common for someone with bipolar disorder to also suffer from depression.
It's no surprise that it's been tricky navigating the world of mental health care. Following are some common conditions that are treated within the mental health system.
These two very common conditions can range from mild to severe. Your first stop if you need some help would be your GP. If your GP thinks your condition is manageable, they may prescribe one of a range of widely used medications and perhaps refer you to a psychologist for some therapy.
For more severe cases, you may be referred to a psychiatrist, who will have more experience than a GP in diagnosing mental illness and prescribing more specialised medication.
Except in the most severe cases, which often involve an underlying disorder besides the anxiety and/or depression, most of this will be outpatient treatment. It can generally be covered through the public healthcare system and a private health insurance extras policy.
People with these disorders lose touch with reality and need specialised treatment even in less severe cases. Examples that come under this heading include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. People with these symptoms are usually referred to a psychiatrist who is well versed in managing such conditions. Medication and psychological counselling are generally included in the treatment plan.
Sometimes these conditions can be treated in an outpatient capacity, and are covered by a mix of Medicare and a private extras policy. However, some cases can be quite severe and require in-hospital care. In these instances, Medicare and private hospital cover can help with the cost of inpatient treatment.
Sometimes people just get stressed out and need psychological treatment even though there is no underlying "illness" to speak of. Conditions in this category include those such as work-related stress and relationship problems.
In most cases, all that is needed to help with symptoms is a few sessions of therapy with a psychologist. You don't even need a GP for that. If you have a private extras policy, you can book straight into see a psychologist and a few sessions will be covered.
Substance abuse and other behavioural disorders can be the result of low self-esteem, an underlying mental illness such as depression or merely physical dependence. In cases where a person's health is at risk, hospitalisation is the first step that would be taken. From there, medical professionals generally work with the patient to help them stop the unwanted behaviour. They then try to work out if there is an underlying mental illness, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder or depression.
Treatments can include in-hospital care, rehabilitation, support groups and therapy. A mix of Medicare, private hospital cover and/or private extras cover would be required to help cover these costs.
These disorders can occur when a past traumatic experience affects someone's mental health. Examples include post-traumatic stress disorder and postnatal depression. These conditions can include depression, anxiety and/or behavioural disorders, which can often be severe.
A GP might treat someone who presents with one of these complaints by prescribing anxiety/depression medication. They would then most likely refer the patient to a psychiatrist, who can then develop a course of treatment. Therapy and medication may be enough in many cases, but in more severe cases, hospitalisation may be necessary.
Mental health treatment sometimes requires a cocktail of treatments and medications. Luckily, there is a variety of professionals who are trained to treat various aspects of mental illness. These include:
In 2006, the Australian government launched the Better Access initiative, which gives people improved access to mental health treatments under Medicare.
Under this initiative, anyone with a mental health issue is covered for up to 10 sessions with a qualified psychologist and psychiatrist. All that's required is that you see your GP first to get a mental health treatment plan.
If you require hospitalisation, Medicare will cover you for treatment in a public hospital.
If you are experiencing mental health issues or suicidal feelings contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue 1300 224 636. If it is an emergency please call 000.
Private health insurance can supplement any rebates you are entitled to from Medicare. It can cover you in two ways:
In April 2018, the Australian government implemented some changes to the way private health insurance covers mental health treatments. They were designed to make it easier for people to get the in-hospital mental health treatment they need, including treatment for anxiety, depression, drug/alcohol addiction and other mental health issues.
Here are the two major improvements:
By 2020, further reforms will make it easier to identify policies that cover in-patient mental health treatment. Under a new tier system, all top-tier policies (called Gold policies under the new reforms) must include full, non-restricted cover for in-patient psychology. Most top-tier policies already include it, but the Gold designation makes it easier to identify these policies. The new system starts rolling out in April 2019 and all policies must conform by April 2020.
Each state and territory has its own legislation that seeks to improve treatment for mental health patients. The focus of all of the Acts is protecting the rights and dignity of patients, and placing the patient at the centre of decision-making.
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