Standard Fee

$245 - Initial consultation fee (90 minutes) 

$245 - Subsequent consultation fee (50 minutes) 

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Payments are to be made in full on the day of consultation, any Medicare rebate claim can be submitted for you through an online claiming system. Unfortunately, Medicare requires that the session fee is paid in full and then the Medicare rebate claimed as a refund, so it is not possible to just pay the gap alone. Your Medicare rebate is transferred into the bank account you have registered with Medicare.  

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Fees paid the same day will be eligible for a 5% early reduction ($232.75) but those outstanding after 7 days will incur an additional 5% late charge ($257.25).

 

Please note - a Mental Health Care Plan will not cover the full fee for the session as bulk billing is no longer available.  However, if you have a Pension or Health Care Card you can apply for a discounted fee which considerably reduces the gap.  

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You are responsible for:

·   the gap between the Medicare scheduled fee ($141.85 for MHCP 2023/2024) and the session fee,

·  any non-attendance or cancellation fees for less than 48 hours notice (50% of full fee plus GST),

·  full session fee if a current relevant Medicare referral is not provided. 

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No further sessions will be offered if any accounts (session or cancellations) remain outstanding.  Sessions already scheduled may be reallocated if fees remain outstanding 48 hours prior to the appointment.

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Medicolegal Assessments and Reports

$300/hour - Recommended APS rate.

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No discounts or rebates are available for assessments and reports.

 

Please contact Michaela to discuss fees for other services.

In order to receive a Medicare rebate under the Better Access initiative, you must be referred to a psychologist (or other approved mental health professional) by an appropriate medical practitioner (GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician). The doctor must first make an assessment that you meet the relevant criteria and would benefit from the mental health services.  

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To receive a Medicare Rebate of $141.85 for a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) you will need to provide current Medicare Card details, a copy of the MHCP and ensure that the MHCP referral is valid (less then 12 months old, reviewed by the referring doctor every 6 sessions, and not exceeding 10 sessions in a calendar year).  You will also need to pay the fee in full and claim the rebate as a refund as it is not possible to just pay the gap.  The MHCP can only be used for therapy sessions, not assessments.

 

You will still be responsible for covering any gap fee not covered by Medicare, cancellation fees, or the full session fee if you do not have a current Mental Health Care Plan.   

 

A medicare rebate of different amounts  may be available for psychology services for people with certain other conditions (eg chronic conditions, pregnancy counselling, early intervention services) following GP assessment, please discuss other options with your GP..

Discounted Fee - on application

$175 - Initial consultation fee (90 minutes) 

$175 - Subsequent consultation fee (50 minutes) 

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Bulk Bill Fee - no longer available 

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Reduced fees are only available on written application and require a Health Care Card, Pension Card and/or demonstrated significant financial need.  

 

The reduced fees can also be used by those who do not have an eligible Medicare referral (or a referral with a lower Medicare rebate) but the proportion paid by the client increases accordingly.  A Private Health Fund Rebate may still be available if you have the relevant extras cover.  Medicare and Private Health cannot both be used at the same time.

 

There is a 5% early reduction on Discounted Fees for same day payment ($166.25), and an additional 5% late charge for accounts outstanding after 7 days ($183.75).

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For those with a Mental Health Care Plan there is a small gap between the Discounted Fee and Medicare rebate ($141.85 in 2024/2025), leaving you only $24.40 out of pocket if paid the same day.  Unfortunately, Medicare requires that the session fee is paid in full and then the Medicare rebate claimed as a refund, so it is not possible to just pay the gap alone.

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Reduced fees are generally not available for Medico-legal Assessments or Reports (see above).

Some clients may be eligible for a Private Health Fund Rebate.  You will need to check with your private health fund to determine what benefits you are eligible for, the rebate per session, and any limits on number of sessions or annual rebate caps.  

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You cannot claim both a Medicare and Private Health Fund rebate for the same service, you will need to choose which you prefer.  If you wish to claim Private Health Insurance benefits, you are responsible for ensuring your eligibility and any gap that your health insurance does not cover.  Please note cancellation fees are generally not covered by private health insurers.

Some clients may be able to arrange for their session fee to be paid by a third-party such as the Motor Accident Insurance Board (MAIB), Workers Compensation, Open Arms, DVA, DPFEM, or another Government Agency.  This will need to be arranged with the third-party in advance and you will need to provide an authority for payment from that organisation including any claim numbers and limits (number of sessions or total amount approved). 

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You will be liable for any fees not covered by the third party, including cancellation fees or if the invoice is rejected by the third party.  If the fees take more than 4 weeks to process you will be required to pay the account directly and a receipt will be provided to claim a reimbursement from the agency yourself.

Standard Cancellation Fee

$134.75 : 50% +GST for <48hr notice/non-attendance

 

Discounted Cancellation Fee

$96.25 : 50% +GST for <48hr notice/non-attendance

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Appointments can be rescheduled if you have competing commitments, however there will be a 50% of usual session fee (plus GST) cancellation fee if you do not notify Michaela by telephone, text or email at least 48 hours prior, so that clients on the waiting list can be offered the session time.  

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Please consider the scheduling of your appointments carefully.  It may not be realistic to expect to return to work or school immediately after a session, depending on the content discussed.  Also appointments will not always finish on time so please avoid scheduling other commitments too soon after the appointment time.