How many Better Access sessions can you get in 2026?
In 2026, Better Access provides Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual and up to 10 group psychological therapy sessions per calendar year. You need a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, or a referral from a psychiatrist or paediatrician. The first referral covers up to six sessions, then your referrer reviews progress before you can use the remaining sessions.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Better Access initiative
Better Access initiative, Health Professionals Fact Sheet
Medicare Benefits Schedule, mental health items
Services Australia, MBS billing rules for mental health services
How the 10 sessions work
The sessions are counted per calendar year, from 1 January to 31 December, and unused sessions do not roll over. The 10 individual sessions and 10 group sessions are separate allowances. A referral covers a course of treatment of up to six sessions. After that course, the psychologist or other provider reports back to the referrer, who reviews the plan and can refer for up to four more sessions if needed. Telehealth sessions by video or phone count towards the same limits as face to face sessions. The temporary increase to 20 individual sessions that applied during the pandemic ended at the end of 2022, and any future change would be announced through the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
Getting a plan and a referral
Most people start with a Mental Health Treatment Plan prepared by their usual GP, or by a GP at the practice where they are registered with MyMedicare. The plan must include an assessment, a provisional or formal diagnosis, treatment goals and a crisis plan, and it uses an outcome measurement tool unless that is clinically inappropriate. A psychiatrist or paediatrician can also refer directly without a plan. Plans are reviewed at least once per course of treatment but generally no more often than every three months. For a plan to be prepared by telehealth, the GP must have seen the patient face to face in the previous 12 months, which is why new patients are usually asked to attend in person.
Who provides the sessions and what it costs
Clinical psychologists provide psychological therapy items, while registered psychologists, accredited mental health social workers and mental health occupational therapists provide focused psychological strategies. GPs with additional training can also provide some services. The Medicare rebate is set by the Medicare Benefits Schedule and differs between provider types. Providers set their own fees and are not required to bulk bill, so many people pay a gap. Out of pocket costs count towards the Medicare Safety Net, which increases rebates once you reach the yearly threshold. If cost is a barrier, ask your GP about bulk billing providers, Medicare Mental Health centres or headspace for young people.
Checking the current rules
Better Access is delivered through the Medicare Benefits Schedule, and item numbers, rebates and rules change from time to time, usually from 1 November or 1 July each year. Before relying on a session count or rebate figure, check the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Better Access page or the MBS Online factsheets. Providers can confirm how many sessions a patient has used in the calendar year through Services Australia. Better Access is not the only pathway. People with complex or long term needs may be better served by public community mental health services, the NDIS if they have a psychosocial disability, or other Commonwealth funded programs.
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