Comfortably Compliant

December 2019

If taking an extended period away from work, including for example, due to family or health reasons, many psychologists move to non-practising registration which allows them to stay in the profession and continue to use the title ‘psychologist’. It is important to understand what...

October 2019

Relationship breakups can be messy. Not just romantic ones, but business ones too. The APS Professional Advisory Service (PAS) has fielded a number of enquiries from members concerned about how a termination of a contracting arrangement is being managed between a practice owner and an employed or...

August 2019

When police seek information about a deceased clientPsychologists may receive a request for information from others, including the police, after a client has died and may be unsure whether they are obliged to speak to the police, i.e., release information to them about the client. In general...

June 2019

The APS Code of Ethics espouses the principle of integrity and requires that psychologists be honest in their financial dealings. When invoicing a client who has received a service under Medicare, the invoice must also meet the requirements of the Health Insurance Regulations (1975) It is the...

April 2019

The capacity for psychologists to deliver Better Access psychological services via videoconference to people in rural and remote Australia (Modified Monash Model geographical regions 4-7) has been in place since 1 November 2017. In September 2018, the Federal Government removed the requirement...

February 2019

Most private health insurers use similar strategies to Medicare to identify incorrect claiming by health practitioners, including psychologists. In particular, they look to identify unusual claiming patterns in comparison to the majority of providers (‘peer to peer comparison’). Where...

December 2018

I can hear you all thinking “yes, I bulk bill some clients but what is a bulk bill voucher?” Many psychologists are probably not aware of bulk bill vouchers and even if they do know what they are, the ‘rules’ around them are confusing.A Medicare rebate belongs to the...

October 2018

It is not uncommon for members to contact the APS about correspondence they have received from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) challenging how they have advertised their services. AHPRA takes very seriously the need to ensure the public has access to quality...

August 2018

It is common practice in many businesses, including psychology practices, to charge a cancellation fee if a person cancels at late, or no, notice. The APS schedule of recommended fees includes a suggested guideline for how such a fee could be tailored based on the principle that the...