How long does a Mental Health Treatment Plan last?

There are a few parts to this:

The plan itself

Many patients will not require a new GP Mental Health Treatment Plan after their initial plan has been prepared.

You may receive a new plan if your doctor believes it is clinically required.

Your allowance of Medicare rebated mental health sessions

Separately, the sessions that you receive under your Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) are valid until the referred number of sessions have been completed, rather than a specified time period.

Eligible people can receive up to 10 sessions in a calendar year (1 January to 31 December).

During your treatment, your healthcare provider will conduct regular reviews to assess your progress and adjust your treatment plan if needed. These reviews help ensure that you are receiving the most appropriate care.

Your MHTP is initially for a maximum of six sessions. Your referring doctor will assess your progress after the first six sessions and determine whether further sessions are needed, then potentially refer you for a further four sessions to complete your allowance of ten sessions.

After reaching the maximum of 10 allowable sessions for the calendar year, you will not be eligible for further Medicare rebates for treatment until the new calendar year. However, any unused sessions can be used in the next calendar year.

For example:

You had a bulk-bill consult with a GP for your mental health, were issued a MHTP, and have been referred to a mental health professional.

You completed your first 6 sessions with that mental health professional and received a Medicare rebate for these sessions.

After going back to your GP for a bulk-bill review, they believed it was in your best interest to refer you for another 4 sessions with your mental health professional. You’ve completed 3 of those appointments and received Medicare rebates.

At this point, you’ve used 9 out of 10 sessions on your plan by 31 Dec, which leaves you with 1 session left to be rebated for the year.

The number of sessions allowed resets on 1 Jan,

So, you can still use the last session on your referral on 1 Jan. If your doctor considers that further psychology sessions are needed, the number of available Medicare rebated sessions is now 9 (for a total 10 for the calendar year).

You can book an assessment for a Mental Health Treatment Plan online. Rebates apply for Medicare card holders.