Finished my ten sessions with the psychologist last week, they sent a report back to the GP with a recommendation that I see a psychiatrist for an ADHD diagnosis. The GP gave me a referral and I followed up. It’s $1000 just for the initial consultation, and hundreds for each subsequent appointment. WTF! Plus I can’t get in until at least December. Is it any wonder there’s a bit of a mental health crisis in this country when support is so expensive.
In case you (or anyone reading) didn’t know, many people can get up to 5 further rebated sessions with a psychologist through a GP Management Plan + Team Care Arrangement. Your GP needs to set it up but should be familiar with the process. The rebate is a bit less than the MHCP one.
If you’re in the SE, I can recommend my psych. My initial appointment was free under the Medicare thing, and then every appointment is like $150 something I think? It’s more than $100 but less than $200. Wait times are I think maybe a month or so? But it could’ve changed since then as he only does appointments every 2nd Saturday which is annoying tbh.
I’ve been playing the psychiatrist waiting game too but strongly recommend getting as many referrals out there as possible at least starting with general psych and not just ADHD specialists. I got lucky after pushing my GP to send more referrals out, ever though it was just for general psych it turns out there are other psychiatrists that don’t advertise as specialising in ADHD per se (because they’d be swamped), but can still actually do the assessment and prescribe medications accordingly, and are reasonably familiar with differential diagnosis. (I quite specifically didn’t want to start off with a specialist but somehow have ended up on this track) I got my first appointment within 8 weeks of my renewed push, x1 followup after 3 weeks and final assessment 6 days after ( next Monday).
Two things - firstly check what MBS item number each appointment will be under. The actual diagnosis appointment where they give you a treatment plan should be an Item 291 which has a much higher Medicare rebate - $427.75. That might make the fee less scary, if that’s the $1000 appt… If it can’t be done in one session they may use a combination of Item 296 (rebate of $246.00) and Item 306 (rebate of $173.60) first.
Second, don’t forget to check your Safety Net threshold for the year by logging into Medicare. It’s easy to hit it reasonably quick if you’ve been doing psychology sessions with large out of pocket fees. Once you hit it the psychiatrist sessions are heaps cheaper. I hit my threshold in June so was out of pocket $45.80 for my first psychiatry session (item 296) and $60.25 for my second (Item 306) - both over an hour long, and very extensive, cost $475 each.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write that and for sharing your experience. The response I got from the psychiatrist’s office did mention the Item 291 rebate, and that was in the context of an “opinion only” referral, which, if I understand correctly, means the GP manages the medication going forward. If I have follow-ups with the psych it’s $375 a session, with $125 rebated. I’ll check out the Safety Net, I wasn’t aware of it. Thanks again.
De nada, it’s such a confusing mess that I’m happy to share what I know. You’re absolutely right about your original point that it’s still so cost prohibitive to get mental health support thigh.
Thank you! Will check it out. I’m at the point where I need answers and help, I’ve lived with this for too long, mostly unknowingly because I spent a decade between '97 and '07 getting off my tits on stimulants. That’s not a thing in my life now and the reality has come crashing down in recent years.
I was in that place when I asked my gp for a referral and by the time I’d heard back my adhd had settled down a lot, to the point where I wasn’t in such need of treatment. Knowing if it does flare up again I can see someone quickly is also very reassuring. I’d check landsharkkidd’s option first though, saving 1200 dolareedoos…
I’m at some stage this year going to look at coping mechanisms. Also definitely going to look at going to that SE clinic mentioned above, as I might also be on the autism spectrum but 2 grand is not really something I want to fork out when neither of my potential neurodivergences are really getting in the way of living a good life at the moment and I’m dealing with being in the early stages of transition and that definitely has had impact on mental health in unexpected ways.
Finished my ten sessions with the psychologist last week, they sent a report back to the GP with a recommendation that I see a psychiatrist for an ADHD diagnosis. The GP gave me a referral and I followed up. It’s $1000 just for the initial consultation, and hundreds for each subsequent appointment. WTF! Plus I can’t get in until at least December. Is it any wonder there’s a bit of a mental health crisis in this country when support is so expensive.
In case you (or anyone reading) didn’t know, many people can get up to 5 further rebated sessions with a psychologist through a GP Management Plan + Team Care Arrangement. Your GP needs to set it up but should be familiar with the process. The rebate is a bit less than the MHCP one.
If you’re in the SE, I can recommend my psych. My initial appointment was free under the Medicare thing, and then every appointment is like $150 something I think? It’s more than $100 but less than $200. Wait times are I think maybe a month or so? But it could’ve changed since then as he only does appointments every 2nd Saturday which is annoying tbh.
Thank you. SE representing! Open to your recommendation. Cheers.
rip your inbox 😂
Surprisingly enough it’s been pretty quiet.
It’s stupid that I have to pay so much to just get a script though. Ridiculous.
I might look into getting an ADHD coach, but those are super hard to find someone qualified to work with.
Can’t your gp write a script? Or do you need to keep seeing your pysch?
I wish! No they need like a special certificate or something for it. It’s crazy.
I’ve been playing the psychiatrist waiting game too but strongly recommend getting as many referrals out there as possible at least starting with general psych and not just ADHD specialists. I got lucky after pushing my GP to send more referrals out, ever though it was just for general psych it turns out there are other psychiatrists that don’t advertise as specialising in ADHD per se (because they’d be swamped), but can still actually do the assessment and prescribe medications accordingly, and are reasonably familiar with differential diagnosis. (I quite specifically didn’t want to start off with a specialist but somehow have ended up on this track) I got my first appointment within 8 weeks of my renewed push, x1 followup after 3 weeks and final assessment 6 days after ( next Monday).
Two things - firstly check what MBS item number each appointment will be under. The actual diagnosis appointment where they give you a treatment plan should be an Item 291 which has a much higher Medicare rebate - $427.75. That might make the fee less scary, if that’s the $1000 appt… If it can’t be done in one session they may use a combination of Item 296 (rebate of $246.00) and Item 306 (rebate of $173.60) first.
Second, don’t forget to check your Safety Net threshold for the year by logging into Medicare. It’s easy to hit it reasonably quick if you’ve been doing psychology sessions with large out of pocket fees. Once you hit it the psychiatrist sessions are heaps cheaper. I hit my threshold in June so was out of pocket $45.80 for my first psychiatry session (item 296) and $60.25 for my second (Item 306) - both over an hour long, and very extensive, cost $475 each.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write that and for sharing your experience. The response I got from the psychiatrist’s office did mention the Item 291 rebate, and that was in the context of an “opinion only” referral, which, if I understand correctly, means the GP manages the medication going forward. If I have follow-ups with the psych it’s $375 a session, with $125 rebated. I’ll check out the Safety Net, I wasn’t aware of it. Thanks again.
De nada, it’s such a confusing mess that I’m happy to share what I know. You’re absolutely right about your original point that it’s still so cost prohibitive to get mental health support thigh.
ADHD&BED clinic
Check this place out, it’s still expensive, but at least their waiting period is only two weeks.
Thank you! Will check it out. I’m at the point where I need answers and help, I’ve lived with this for too long, mostly unknowingly because I spent a decade between '97 and '07 getting off my tits on stimulants. That’s not a thing in my life now and the reality has come crashing down in recent years.
I was in that place when I asked my gp for a referral and by the time I’d heard back my adhd had settled down a lot, to the point where I wasn’t in such need of treatment. Knowing if it does flare up again I can see someone quickly is also very reassuring. I’d check landsharkkidd’s option first though, saving 1200 dolareedoos…
I’m at some stage this year going to look at coping mechanisms. Also definitely going to look at going to that SE clinic mentioned above, as I might also be on the autism spectrum but 2 grand is not really something I want to fork out when neither of my potential neurodivergences are really getting in the way of living a good life at the moment and I’m dealing with being in the early stages of transition and that definitely has had impact on mental health in unexpected ways.