Online Mental Health Care Plans in Australia: Your Step-by-Step Guide
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If you have ever tried to access mental health support in Australia, you already know the situation is difficult. Wait times for psychologists stretch into months. Finding a GP who can see you for longer than six minutes feels impossible. And if you live outside a capital city, or work hours that do not align with a 9-to-5 clinic schedule, the whole system can feel like it was designed for someone else.
The Mental Health Care Plan is one of the most important tools available to Australians seeking mental health support. It is a Medicare-subsidised pathway that makes professional psychological care significantly more affordable. And yet, many Australians either do not know it exists, do not understand how to access it, or assume the process requires multiple in-person visits that their schedule simply cannot accommodate.
This guide walks you through exactly what a Mental Health Care Plan is, who is eligible, how to get one, and how the entire process can now be completed via telehealth. Everything here is grounded in current Medicare guidelines and has been reviewed by our Chief Medical Officer Dr Ramu Nachiappan, who has spent 35 years in general practice including decades serving one of Australia's most remote communities.
A Mental Health Care Plan, sometimes called an MHCP, is a structured treatment plan created by your GP under Medicare's Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners initiative. It is not a diagnosis in itself. It is a clinical document that outlines your mental health concerns, sets treatment goals, and refers you to allied mental health professionals such as psychologists, social workers, or occupational therapists for ongoing therapy.
The Better Access initiative was introduced by the Australian Government in 2006 to address the gap between the number of Australians experiencing mental health difficulties and the number who could actually afford to see a mental health professional. Before its introduction, private psychology sessions were entirely out-of-pocket for most people. The initiative changed that by allowing GPs to create formal care plans that entitle patients to Medicare rebates on allied mental health services.
Under the current arrangement, a valid Mental Health Care Plan entitles you to up to 10 individual allied mental health sessions per calendar year with Medicare rebates. These sessions reset each calendar year, which means that if you used sessions in the previous year, you can access a new plan in the new year. Your GP creates the plan, makes the referral, and reviews your progress after an initial block of sessions. The plan itself is a living document that your GP can update as your needs change.
It is worth understanding what a Mental Health Care Plan is not. It is not a prerequisite for seeing a psychologist privately without Medicare support. It is not a formal psychiatric diagnosis. And it does not lock you into a particular treatment path. It is, at its core, a mechanism that makes mental health support financially accessible through Australia's public health system.
Eligibility for a Mental Health Care Plan is broader than many people realise. You do not need a formal diagnosis of depression, anxiety, or any other specific condition to begin the process. You do not need to be in crisis. You do not need a referral from another health professional before seeing your GP about it.
The eligibility criteria are straightforward. You need to hold a valid Medicare card and be experiencing mental health difficulties that your GP believes would benefit from structured psychological support. That is it. The assessment happens during your GP appointment, and your doctor determines whether a Mental Health Care Plan is the right pathway based on your individual presentation.
This means that if you have been feeling persistently anxious, struggling with low mood, finding it hard to cope with stress, experiencing sleep difficulties related to psychological distress, or navigating a significant life change that is affecting your mental wellbeing, you are exactly the kind of person this pathway was designed for. You do not need to wait until things become severe. In fact, the earlier you access support, the more effective it tends to be.
It is also important to note that Mental Health Care Plans are available to Australians of all ages. Parents can access them for children and adolescents. Older Australians are equally eligible. The common thread is simply that a GP has assessed the patient and determined that a structured plan with allied mental health referrals is clinically appropriate.
The process for obtaining a Mental Health Care Plan is well-defined under Medicare guidelines. Understanding each step in advance can make the experience less daunting, particularly if this is your first time seeking mental health support through the public system.
Step 1: Book a Longer GP Appointment
The single most important thing you can do is book the right kind of appointment. A Mental Health Care Plan cannot be completed in a standard short consultation. Your GP needs adequate time to conduct a thorough mental health assessment, discuss your history, and create the plan itself. Most clinics recommend booking a long consultation of at least 20 to 40 minutes, and some clinics offer specific "mental health" appointment types.
When booking, it helps to let the clinic know that you would like to discuss a Mental Health Care Plan. This ensures your GP has enough time allocated and can prepare appropriately. If you are booking online, look for appointment types described as "long consultation," "extended consultation," or "mental health assessment."
Step 2: Your GP Conducts a Mental Health Assessment
During the appointment, your GP will conduct a structured assessment of your mental health. This is not an informal chat. It is a clinical evaluation that typically involves validated screening tools used widely in Australian general practice.
The most common tools include the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), which measures general psychological distress over the past four weeks, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for assessing symptoms of depression, and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) for measuring anxiety symptoms. Your GP may use one or more of these depending on your presentation.
Your doctor will also ask about your personal and family history of mental health conditions, any current stressors or life circumstances contributing to your difficulties, your sleep patterns, substance use, social supports, and any previous mental health treatment you may have received. This conversation is confidential and covered by the same privacy protections as any medical consultation.
Step 3: Your GP Creates the Mental Health Care Plan
If your GP determines that a Mental Health Care Plan is appropriate, they will create the plan during the same appointment. The plan is a formal document that includes a summary of your mental health concerns, agreed-upon treatment goals, the type of allied mental health professional being recommended, and any other relevant clinical information.
Treatment goals are developed collaboratively. They might include things like reducing the frequency and intensity of anxiety symptoms, developing coping strategies for managing stress, improving sleep quality, or working through a specific issue such as grief, relationship difficulties, or adjustment to a major life change. These goals give both you and your treating psychologist or counsellor a clear framework to work within.
Step 4: Your GP Refers You to an Allied Mental Health Professional
With the plan in place, your GP writes a referral to an allied mental health professional. This is typically a psychologist, but it can also be a clinical social worker, an occupational therapist with mental health specialisation, or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner, depending on what is most appropriate for your situation.
Your GP may recommend a specific professional, or you may choose your own. If you have a preference for a particular type of therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), or another evidence-based approach, it is worth discussing this with your GP so they can tailor the referral accordingly.
Step 5: Book Sessions with Your Chosen Provider
Once you have your referral, you book sessions directly with your chosen allied mental health professional. You are entitled to an initial block of six sessions under Medicare. After these six sessions, your GP can refer you for an additional four sessions (up to the annual maximum of 10) following a review appointment.
When booking, let the provider know that you have a Mental Health Care Plan and a GP referral, as they will need these documents to process your Medicare rebate. Some providers handle this administratively, while others may ask you to bring copies of your plan and referral letter to your first session.
Step 6: Review Appointment with Your GP
After your initial block of sessions, you will need to book a review appointment with your GP. This is a required step under the Better Access initiative and serves an important clinical purpose. Your GP will assess how you are progressing, discuss what has been working in therapy, and determine whether additional sessions are needed.
If your GP determines that further sessions would be beneficial, they can authorise the remaining sessions up to your annual maximum. They may also update your Mental Health Care Plan to reflect any changes in your treatment goals or circumstances. This review is an important moment of continuity, ensuring that your GP remains actively involved in your mental health care rather than simply writing a referral and stepping away.
Yes. Mental Health Care Plans can be created, reviewed, and managed entirely via telehealth. This has been the case since the Australian Government made permanent the temporary telehealth MBS items introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes, which were formalised in the 2022 federal budget and confirmed in subsequent MBS updates, mean that telehealth consultations for mental health care plans carry the same clinical and Medicare validity as in-person appointments.
In practical terms, this means you can complete the entire process from a video consultation with your GP. The assessment is conducted via video call using the same validated screening tools your GP would use in person. The Mental Health Care Plan is created digitally during the consultation. The referral letter is sent electronically to your chosen allied mental health professional. And the review appointment, when it comes time, can also be completed via telehealth.
For many Australians, the telehealth pathway removes the most significant barriers to accessing a Mental Health Care Plan. If you live in a rural or regional area where GP availability is limited, telehealth means you do not need to drive hours to see a doctor. If you work shifts or have caring responsibilities that make weekday clinic visits impractical, a video consultation can be scheduled around your life. And if the very nature of your mental health difficulties makes it hard to leave the house or sit in a waiting room, the ability to see your GP from home can be the difference between getting help and putting it off indefinitely.
It is also worth noting that many allied mental health professionals now offer telehealth sessions as well. This means that for some patients, the entire journey from initial GP assessment through to ongoing psychological therapy can be completed remotely without any reduction in clinical quality or Medicare eligibility.
Understanding the costs involved is important because the financial structure of a Mental Health Care Plan involves two separate components: the GP consultation and the allied health sessions. Each has its own Medicare arrangement.
The GP consultation to create or review your Mental Health Care Plan is a standard medical appointment. Many GPs bulk bill this consultation for eligible patients, which means there is no out-of-pocket cost. Whether you are bulk billed depends on your GP's billing practices and your individual eligibility. If the consultation is not bulk billed, you will pay the GP's fee upfront and receive a Medicare rebate for a portion of that cost.
The allied mental health sessions are where costs vary more significantly. Medicare provides a rebate for each session conducted under your Mental Health Care Plan. As of 2026, the Medicare rebate for a standard psychological therapy session with a clinical psychologist is approximately $141, and the rebate for sessions with a registered psychologist or other eligible allied health professional is approximately $96. These rebate amounts are set by the MBS and are reviewed periodically.
The critical point is that the Medicare rebate covers a portion of the session fee, not necessarily the full cost. Many psychologists charge above the Medicare rebate, which means you may face a gap payment. The size of that gap depends entirely on what your chosen provider charges. Some allied mental health professionals do bulk bill under Mental Health Care Plans, meaning you pay nothing out of pocket. Others charge fees that leave a gap of $50 to $150 or more per session.
If cost is a concern, it is worth asking your GP for recommendations of providers who bulk bill or who keep their gap fees low. Community mental health centres and some university psychology clinics also offer sessions at reduced rates or with no gap for patients with a Mental Health Care Plan.
At Abby Health, the process of accessing a Mental Health Care Plan has been designed to work around your life rather than the other way around. As an online-first clinic, Abby connects you with experienced GPs via telehealth for a consultation that carries the same clinical and Medicare validity as an in-person visit.
When you book a consultation through Abby, you are matched with a GP from our care network of over 300 clinicians who are available seven days a week. Your GP conducts the full mental health assessment via video, creates your Mental Health Care Plan during the appointment, and sends your referral electronically to your chosen allied mental health professional. The entire process is completed in a single consultation.
What makes the experience meaningfully different is what happens after that first appointment. When it is time for your review, you can see the same GP who created your plan, which means you are not repeating your story to a stranger. That continuity matters in mental health care more than almost any other area of medicine. Your GP already understands your history, your goals, and your progress. The review becomes a genuine clinical conversation rather than a fresh intake.
Consultations at Abby Health are bulk billed for eligible patients. If you are unsure whether you are eligible for bulk billing, our team can help clarify this before your appointment so there are no surprises.
If you are experiencing anxiety in women: symptoms, why it's different, and how to get help online, a Mental Health Care Plan is often the first step toward structured, ongoing support.
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