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Sessions with a Psychologist can be funded in several different ways.
These includes but are not limited to:
If clients wish to attend under a Mental Health Care Plan referral, we suggest making an appointment with their GP to discuss their situation and to request a referral to see a psychologist. The GP will determine eligibility for a MHCP referral and may suggest a suitable practitioner.
Clients with a valid referral from a GP or psychiatrist for a Mental Health Treatment Plan will be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate for up to 10 sessions with a psychologist per calendar year.
Australians will be able to continue to access telehealth services (telephone or online) through Medicare for the next four years. This extension includes telehealth psychology sessions.
The additional 10 sessions under a Medicare mental health treatment plan have also been extended to December 2022
Eligible clients who have used their existing 10 individual sessions in a calendar year will be able to continue to access an additional 10 sessions under their existing mental health treatment plan. This extension applies until December 2022.
To be eligible, a patient must have:
At Fernhills Clinic we are proud to provide reduced upfront fees for clients who are on a Centrelink pension or health care card, to minimise the out of pocket expense and to ensure access to psychological therapies is not compromised due to financial constraints.
Clients attending under a Mental Health Care Plan referral, are required to pay an upfront fee at the time of their appointment (please contact the clinic for consultation fees). A Medicare rebate will be processed on the spot for any client making payments (in person at the clinic) on the day of their appointment.
During Covid-19 and whilst the majority of sessions are being conducted remotely, payments for sessions must be made over the phone on the day of service, by calling the clinic at the completion of your appointment. Receipts are then emailed directly to the client, so that a rebate can be obtained using the Medicare Express Plus App on your phone or logging into your myGov account, to make a claim through Medicare.
Any upfront fees that are not paid for on the day of service will incur a $20 late payment fee and must be paid within 48 hours. If a client’s account remains unpaid after this period, and no contact has been made with the clinic to arrange a payment plan, future scheduled appointments may be cancelled. No further appointments can be made, until payment has been received.
If a client has private health insurance that includes psychological counselling as part of their extras cover, they may be eligible for a partial rebate. It is recommended that they contact their individual insurance provider for further information about their individual coverage. A receipt will be issued (emailed) at the time of payment, to enable clients to claim their private insurance rebate.
Clients are welcome to make an appointment with a psychologist or mental health social worker without a referral from their GP or a psychiatrist. If this is done, payment for sessions is required on the day of their appointment and no rebates from Medicare can be issued.
Please be aware that Fernhills Clinic is not an emergency service and cannot provide this service.
Sessions will run for 50 minutes each. Unfortunately, if you arrive late for an appointment, your practitioner is not able to run past the original allocated duration.
Payment is by Eftpos, Visa or Mastercard. Cash is not kept on the premises to provide change.
The cost of a 50 minute session varies depending on the psychologist that you are seeing.
Clients with a Centrelink Pension or Health Care Card are eligible for a reduced upfront consultation fee.
All reports written by Psychologists will be charged at the Psychologists recommended fee.
To attend sessions punctually.
To notify clinic by 12 noon the day prior to your scheduled appointment, if unable to attend. You must notify the clinic by 12 noon Saturday if you are unable to attend an appointment scheduled for the Monday following.
Payment for sessions at time of consultation.
To ensure that you have turned off all electronic equipment including mobile phones during face to face consultation.
The client has the right to withdraw their consent to treatment at any time.
To keep clinic informed of any changes to contact details and/or consent to contact others.
If the client is unhappy at any stage with the quality of service they have received, we encourage them to notify the clinic via reception, to register a complaint. Should you consider either that your confidentiality has been breached or a request for access/correction has been unfairly denied, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) or AHPRA. A copy of our privacy policy is available to view upon request at reception.
Due to demand for this service, unfortunately if you fail to arrive for a scheduled appointment or do not cancel by 12 noon the day prior to your appointment, we cannot guarantee a further appointment, and this will also incur a cancellation fee.
Fernhills Clinic has zero tolerance for aggressive or rude behaviour. This policy is in place for the comfort and safety of all our staff & clients.
We are not an emergency service and our practitioners are not contactable on days that they are not working. Messages can be forwarded to your practitioner (via email) and will be followed up with when possible. Practitioners are generally heavily booked on their days of work, and therefore are limited in their ability to provide “over the phone” support or feedback to clients, parent/carers, teachers and any other third parties. These requests cannot always be met. If the matter remains unresolved please make an appointment to speak to the chosen practitioner.
As we are not an emergency service we cannot guarantee an appointment time within a short period of notice. Please contact the services listed below in an emergency: