Mental health services

Read the relevant item descriptions, fact sheets and explanatory notes on the MBS Online website.

The Better Access initiative aims to improve the treatment and management of mental illness within the community. It gives patients better access to mental health professionals and team-based mental health care.

Under this initiative, patients can access Medicare benefits for selected mental health services provided by:

• general practitioners (GPs)
• prescribed medical practitioners
• psychiatrists
• clinical psychologists
• psychologists
• social workers
• occupational therapists.

Read more about the Better Access initiative on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Confirming mental health items and limits

You can use the MBS items online checker in Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) for all of the following:

• view and check patient eligibility based on their MBS history
• check your own eligibility for claiming MBS items
• check claiming conditions for MBS items.

You can call us to check both of the following:

• if a patient has claimed a GP mental health treatment plan (GPMHTP)
• how many allied mental health services the patient has already claimed in the calendar year.

Billing GP mental health services

You can bill these items if you’re working in general practice.

They’re not available to either:

• specialists
• consultant physicians.

The term ‘GP’ in the item descriptions is used as a generic reference to medical practitioners eligible to claim these items.

Under Better Access, you can bill and claim for certain services.

These services can be performed and billed through telehealth. Read Telehealth MBS items to learn more.

Prepare a GP mental health treatment plan (GPMHTP)

In person MBS items:

• 272
• 276
• 281-282
• 2700-2701
• 2715
• 2717

Health professionals can use these items once every 12 months. They can’t use these items within 3 months of using a review item.

Review a mental health treatment plan

In person MBS items:

• 277
• 2712

Health professionals can use these items once every 3 months. They can’t use these items within 4 weeks of claiming a GPMHTP item.

Manage a patient’s mental health condition

In person MBS items:

• 279
• 2713
• a general consultation item.

Health professionals can use these items as often as necessary. There are no restrictions.

Provide focused psychological strategies (FPS) services

In person MBS items:

• 283-287
• 2721-2727

Health professionals can use these items up to 10 times every 12 months.

To determine which item applies when billing a GP mental health service you can either:

• ask your patient if they have a copy of their previous GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (GPMHTP)
• ask their previous health professional for a copy, with your patient’s permission.

You can review a patient’s previous plan if it’s been in place for more than 4 weeks.

Only prepare a GPMHTP if you’re the patient’s usual practitioner and expect to continue managing their condition.

Allied mental health services

To be an eligible allied health professional, you must both:

• meet the eligibility criteria
• have a Medicare provider number.

Under Better Access, you can bill and claim the services in the tables below.

Better Access services for family and carer participation

Better Access services allow eligible health professionals to deliver up to 2 services per calendar year to family or carers of the patient. Eligible health professionals include:

• GPs
• prescribed medical practitioners
• clinical psychologists
• psychologists
• occupational therapists
• social workers.

These Better Access services can be provided to a person other than the patient, where:

• the patient has been referred for Better Access services for allied health professionals delivering these services
• the treating or referring practitioner determines it is clinically appropriate
• the patient consents for the service to be provided to the person as part of their treatment
• the service is part of the patient’s treatment
• the patient isn’t in attendance.

Any services delivered using these MBS items count towards the patient’s calendar year allocation for individual services, under Better Access. There’s a maximum of 2 services per calendar year.

These changes recognise the important role family members and carers play in supporting patients with mental illness. Involving family members and carers in treatment benefits patient outcomes.