Yes, anyone who lives in a rural or remote areas is eligible for 10 free appointments with us under Medicare’s new bushfire initiative.
All you need to do is contact us to make a booking. You can call on 1300 813 307 or email us at info@remotetherapy.com.au.
To find out whether you live in a rural or remote areas, scroll to the question below that reads “Is my address in a rural or remote community?”.
can i get 10 free appointments under the new bushfire initiative?
We treat people with a wide variety of issues including:
Depression
Anxiety
Stress
Addiction
Eating disorders
Panic attacks
Trauma
Post-traumatic stress
Self-harm
Low self-worth
Suicidal ideation
Behavioural problems
Personality disorders
What issues can you help with?
What does it cost?
We are a bulk-bill practice which means $0 out of pocket if you have a Mental Health Care Plan.
If you have used all 10 of your Mental Health Care Plan sessions for the calendar year, then we charge a fee:
Registered psychologist = $86.15/hr
Clinical psychologist = $126.50/hr
Please keep in mind that to receive free services (bulk-billed through Medicare) you will need to live in a remote area and have a Mental Health Care Plan. See below to learn which areas are considered remote and how to get a mental health care plan.
A Mental Health Care Plan must be written up by a GP. We recommend booking an appointment with your GP and discussing your mental health treatment with them.
How do I get a Mental Health Care Plan?
Living remotely is defined as living in Modified Monash Model (MMM) Zones 4-7. The MMM is a scale for measuring remoteness.
To see if you are eligible, click here and use the map search tool. Simply enter your address in the search bar and select “Modified Monash Model” - “2019” in the filter section. If you are in zones 4, 5, 6, or 7, then you are eligible for the Medicare rebate.
Or, you search can click here for a list of all suburbs and their corresponding MMM zones. Press “Ctrl +F” to search for your own suburb.
Is my address in a rural or remote community?
You can make a booking over the phone on 1300 813 307 or by email at info@remotetherapy.com.au.
How do I make a booking?
Privately funded clients and clients with a Mental Health Care Plan can cancel their appointment free of charge up to 48 hours before their appointment. If you cancel within 48 hours of the appointment or do not attend, you will incur the full fee for the session.
This will be $86.15 for a registered psychologist, and $126.50 for a clinical psychologist.
What is the cancellation policy?
You can cancel over the phone on 1300 813 307, or by email at info@remotetherapy.com.au.
How do I cancel an appointment?
No, at this time we are unable to accommodate NDIS referrals.
Do you take NDIS referrals?
What about DVA, WorkCover, Victim’s Assist, or other program?
Unfortunately, we are currently unable to accommodate DVA/WorkCover/Victim’s Assist. We are working to introduce these referral types in the near future.
How do I join a video call?
To conduct a video call of decent quality you will need a download and upload speed of 0.35+ Mbps (megabits per second).
Click here to to test your internet speed.
If your home internet is not fast enough, you can use your smartphone’s internet instead. 97% of mobile phones run on the fast 4G network so you can either use your smartphone to conduct the entire call, or you can use your phone as a wi-fi hotspot and conduct the call using a tablet or computer.
Is my internet good enough?
A mental health care plan is good for 10 sessions per calendar year. However, a GP can only refer a patient for a maximum of 6 sessions initially. After the 6th session, the patient must return to the GP and receive another referral for a further 4 sessions.
This diagram from the Department of Human Services explains the referral structure:
How does the Mental Health Care Plan referral structure work?
