Following the Federal Governments decision to halt the additional 10 psychology session program, we have developed the below resource for members who may have some questions reagrding the practical implications of the changes.
We have worked with the Department of Health (DoH) to provide clarification and answers to some of your common questions about referrals and item numbers.
Here is the latest information:
- Where patients have a referral for the additional 10 sessions and have not used any, or all, sessions before 31 December 2022, they can use that referral to access unused sessions in 2023 without returning to their referring practitioner. Sessions accessed in 2023 will count towards their maximum session allocation for that year. This aligns with current arrangements for the rollover of Better Access sessions across calendar years.
- Consistent with long-standing Better Access arrangements, patients can access up to six sessions in a course of treatment. Patients using a referral for the additional 10 sessions will therefore be able to access up to six sessions in 2023 (depending on how many unused sessions remain on the referral in the new year) before returning to their referring practitioner. For clarity, sessions delivered under the referral prior to 1 January 2023 will not count towards the session cap for the following calendar year.
- While the MBS item numbers for the additional 10 sessions cease 31 December 2022, providers continue to have access to a suite of MBS items to deliver sessions. These MBS items existed prior to the pandemic and continue to be available. In addition, a number of video and phone MBS items to deliver Better Access sessions were made permanently available on 1 January 2022. Providers can claim the MBS item that matches the service delivered, and where they satisfy all associated claiming requirements.
- The additional 10 session MBS item numbers (the temporary COVID items) will not be available after 31 December 2022.
- If psychologists are continuing to deliver services under a referral for the additional 10 sessions from 1 January 2023, they should claim the MBS items that have always been available for Better Access (or the telehealth/phone equivalents where relevant).
- Sessions accessed in 2023 will use the original ‘initial’ Better Access item numbers (e.g. the '80xxx' or '91xxx' items) and will count towards their maximum session allocation for that year. This aligns with current arrangements for the rollover of Better Access sessions across calendar years.
For addtional support please get in touch with Proffessional Advisory Services here.