Costs & rebates
Cost Calculator
Estimate what you'll pay out-of-pocket for a mental health session after the Medicare rebate.
These are estimates only. Medicare rebate amounts may have changed; check Services Australia for current rates. Last updated: 2026-06-13.
How Medicare Rebates Work
When you see a psychologist with a valid Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) and GP referral, Medicare pays back a fixed amount per session, called the rebate. The difference between the session fee and the rebate is your out-of-pocket cost (also called the "gap").
You can receive up to 10 Medicare-rebated sessions per calendar year (January–December). After your first 6 sessions, your GP needs to do a brief review before you can access sessions 7–10.
On the day, you pay the full session fee upfront — any card is fine. If the clinic processes your rebate on the spot, Medicare can only pay it back onto a debit card, not a credit card. Otherwise you can claim through the Medicare app and the rebate goes to the bank account you've registered with Medicare, usually within a day or two.
Some psychologists bulk-bill, meaning they charge only the Medicare rebate amount, so your out-of-pocket cost is $0. However, bulk-billing psychologists often have longer wait times.