Do I need a referral for a psychologist?

Can I see a psychologist without a referral?

Yes. You can make an appointment with a psychologist directly ^[1].

The catch is cost. Without a referral, you won't get a Medicare rebate. You pay the psychologist's full fee, and if you have extras cover, your health fund may pay part of it, depending on your policy ^[1].

A referral only matters when you want Medicare to contribute. That runs through a program called Better Access.

How do I get a Medicare rebate for a psychologist?

Under Better Access, you need one of these ^[2]:

• a Mental Health Treatment Plan (often still called a mental health care plan) from a GP, plus a referral
• a psychiatrist assessment and management plan, plus a referral
• a direct referral from a psychiatrist or paediatrician

With that in place, you can get Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual and up to 10 group sessions each calendar year ^[3]. Sessions come in courses. Your first referral covers up to 6 individual sessions. After that, your GP reviews how you're going and, if you need more, writes a new referral for the rest of your yearly allowance ^[3][4].

Rebated sessions can be with a clinical psychologist, or with a registered psychologist, eligible social worker or eligible occupational therapist providing what Medicare calls focussed psychological strategies ^[2].

A few details that often trip people up:

• Unused sessions roll over. If your referral still has sessions left at 31 December, you can keep using them in the new year without a new referral. They count towards the new year's total ^[4].
• The plan doesn't expire. You generally don't need a new Mental Health Treatment Plan each year ^[4]. You do need a new referral once the referred sessions are used.
• You choose the psychologist. Better Access referrals written from 1 November 2025 don't need to name a particular psychologist ^[5]. You can take the referral to an eligible provider of your choice.

What changed on 1 November 2025?

Since 1 November 2025, Medicare only pays Better Access rebates when the Mental Health Treatment Plan and the GP referral come from either ^[3][4]:

• a GP at the practice where you're registered for MyMedicare, or
• your usual medical practitioner, meaning a GP at the practice that has provided most of your care over the past 12 months, or will over the next 12 months.

Direct referrals from a psychiatrist or paediatrician aren't affected by this rule ^[2].

In plain terms, Better Access is now tied to your regular GP. If you have one, that's the place to start. If you don't, it's worth settling on a practice you'll keep going back to.

Can a telehealth GP write a mental health treatment plan?

Usually not one that Medicare will rebate, if it's a GP you've never seen before. Two rules stack up:

1. The plan and referral need to come from your MyMedicare practice or your usual GP ^[3].
2. For a new plan done by telehealth, you generally need to have had at least one face-to-face visit with that GP or practice in the past 12 months, or be registered with them in MyMedicare, unless a specific exemption applies ^[3][6].

A one-off telehealth GP generally meets neither rule. It's better to know that before you book than to find out at the psychologist's front desk.

What a telehealth GP can still do, where it's clinically appropriate:

• talk through what's going on and what kind of support fits
• refer you to a psychiatrist, who can then refer you directly for Better Access sessions ^[2] (see do I need a referral for a psychiatrist)
• write a referral letter with your background for a psychologist you're seeing privately

How much does a psychologist cost with Medicare?

Psychologists set their own fees and decide whether to bulk bill. Anything above the Medicare benefit is yours to pay ^[2]. To give you a sense of the numbers, here are the Medicare schedule fees for an in-person session of at least 50 minutes, as listed on MBS Online in November 2026 ^[7][8]:

If your psychologist charges more than the schedule fee, your out-of-pocket gap is bigger. Ask about fees when you book.

Video and phone sessions are also available under Better Access where it's safe and clinically appropriate, with the same yearly limits ^[2].

Can I use private health insurance for a psychologist?

Yes, if your extras cover includes psychology. But you can't use extras to top up the Medicare benefit for the same session ^[2]. You pick Medicare or your fund for each session.

Once you've used your Better Access sessions for the year, you may be able to claim further sessions through your fund, if your policy covers psychological services ^[2]. Check your limits and waiting periods with your insurer.

Are there free mental health options without a referral?

Yes. Medicare Mental Health Check In is a free service for people aged 16 and over who are feeling down, stressed or overwhelmed. You don't need a referral or a diagnosis. Call Medicare Mental Health on 1800 595 212 (weekdays, 8:30am to 5pm, excluding public holidays) and they'll check whether it suits you ^[9].

If you need help now: if you or someone you know is in crisis or at risk of harm, call 000. Lifeline is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14 ^[10].

Getting a referral

Referral GP offers telehealth consultations by phone or video with AHPRA-registered Australian GPs. If you want to talk through your mental health, a GP can help you work out a next step and, where it's clinically appropriate, write a referral, for example to a psychiatrist. A GP you haven't seen before generally can't provide a Medicare-rebated Mental Health Treatment Plan, so if Better Access is what you're after, your regular GP is usually the right place to go.

A consultation doesn't guarantee a referral. Your GP decides what's clinically appropriate.

Bulk billed for eligible patients. If you're not eligible, a consultation fee may apply, and we'll confirm it with you before your consult.

We're not an emergency service. Read more about online referrals and how long a referral lasts, or start a mental health consult.

This page is general information, not medical advice.