 Clinical Psychology fees vary according to the client and nature of the work: as a rule of thumb, the standard fee for an individual consultation of 50 minutes is $180 until the end of June 2012. The standard fee is indexed each year (CPI) to cover increases in costs. Please feel free to discuss fees when you call, or in your first session.
The standard fee means there is an out-of-pocket gap between the rebate you may receive from Medicare or your private health fund.
GST - Generally, psychological services are GST-free if provided to an individual or therapy group by a registered private practitioner. Non-clinical services do incur standard GST of 10%; this includes preparation of reports, any attendance at court, supervision and (non-treatment) consultation services and cancellation fees.
There two main sources of rebates – Medicare and private health funds.
Medicare rebates:
All practitioners at FCP are registered Medicare Specialist providers. To obtain the Medicare rebate you will need a referral from a Psychiatrist, GP or Paediatrician who writes a mental health care plan for psychological services. Currently this allows 6 + 4 sessions under certain critera.
From Nov 2011 to Nov 2012 the Medicare rebate is as follows:
- Individual adult session 50-60 minutes $122.15
- Individual child / adolescent session 50-60 minutes $122.15
- Couples Session conditions apply to rebate $122.15
For further information about psychology and Medicare go to this link:
http://www.psychology.org.au/medicare/ or this quick info link:
http://www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/Medicare_Fact_Sheet2.pdf
Private Health Funds
Our Clinicians are registered with most of the major private health funds. Rebates do vary between health funds and may depend on the kind or level of cover you have. It may be wise to check with your health fund what rebate they allow, so you can calculate the gap between our fee and your rebate.
Insurance funds
If you are seeking psychology services connected with insurance claims (eg via Workcover, MVA claims and suchlike) please be aware that approval to see a Clinical Psychologist has to be obtained before you can commence psychotherapy and that you will need to provide documentation that states this. Once approval is in place, consultation fees are usually sent directly to the insurance company.
How to pay
- Fees are payable in full at the time of your session by EFTPOS or credit card (sorry no Amex or Diners) as preferred options, or by cash or cheque.
- Along with rebates from all major insurers, we offer Medicare Easiclaim at reception. This allows you to claim your Medicare rebate at our reception, at the time of your appointment, if you wish to do so. Otherwise you pay your full fee at the time of your appointment and claim any rebate you are entitled to afterwards.
- Cancellation fees (see below) will not be rebated by Medicare or any of the private health funds.
Cancellation Policy
Our policy is to charge a 50% fee for the missed session if we receive less than 48 hours notice or if you simply don’t show up. If you have some difficulty attending the appointed time, please think ahead and change it or let us know – we’d rather not have to charge for missed appointments if there is an alternative.
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