Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (Better Access) initiative

In July 2006, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed a National Action Plan on Mental Health (2006-2011). The Plan provides a strategic framework emphasising coordination and collaboration between government, private and non–government providers in order to deliver a more seamless and connected health care system so that people with mental disorders are able to participate in the community.

Under the Plan, the Australian Government provided $1.9 billion over five years to implement initiatives to improve services for people with a mental disorder, their families and carers through:

• increasing clinical health services available in the community and providing new teamwork arrangements for psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists and mental health nurses;
• providing new non–clinical and respite services for people with mental disorders and their families and carers;
• increasing the mental health workforce; and
• providing new programs for community awareness.
   

The Better Access initiative aims to support increased access to mental health services through the introduction of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items to provide better and more affordable mental health care to the community. These new MBS funded services promote a collaborative approach to mental health care which encouraged GPs to work with psychiatrists, paediatricians and allied mental health professionals to increase the availability of care.

The mental health care MBS items introduced on 1 November 2006 enable individuals with clinically diagnosed mental disorders to access rebates for a new range of mental health services. Under the changes, Medicare rebates are available for GPs to provide early intervention, assessment and management of consumers with mental disorders as part of a GP Mental Health Care Plan.

As a component of this initiative, Medicare rebates are also available for consumers with an assessed mental disorder to receive treatment from an allied mental health professional. In addition, Medicare items support psychiatrists to see more new patients and the rebates for GPs credentialed to provide Focussed Psychological Strategies have been increased.

The new MBS items will be complemented by a range of other Australian Government mental health initiatives including funding for mental health nurses to support private psychiatrists and GPs in caring for people with severe mental disorders as well as rural and remote measures.

Aims of the Better Access initiative

The Better Access initiative aims to:

• encourage more GPs to participate in early intervention, assessment and management of patients with mental disorders and to streamline access to appropriate psychological interventions in primary care;
• encourage private psychiatrists to see more patients;
• provide referral pathways for appropriate treatment of patients with mental disorders including treatment by eligible clinical psychologists, psychologists and accredited social workers and occupational therapists;
• provide eligible patients with up to 12 Medicare rebates for up to 12 individual and 12 group-based therapy sessions per calendar year; and
• support GPs and primary care providers with education and training to better diagnose and treat mental disorders.

For more information, visit the Department of Health and Ageing website at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-ba