Why hundreds of GPs aren’t billing the mental health items with higher rebates
'It’s an act of kindness on the part of GPs that’s common,' says Dr Cathy Andronis
Hundreds of GPs with extra mental health training are not taking advantage of the higher Medicare rebates on offer because doing so would limit their patients’ access to psychologists, the RACGP says.
About 4% of GPs are accredited to deliver focused psychological strategies (FPS), such as CBT, interpersonal therapy and relaxation strategies.
The extra training allows them to claim $98.05 for a 30-minute consult rather than the usual $76.95 using a level C item or $140.30 for a 40-minute consult rather than $113.30 using a level D item.
However, the Medicare items count towards a patient’s 10 subsidised psychological sessions under the Better Access Scheme.
