Medicare

You are entitled to get Medicare rebates as well as use your NDIS funding. Sometimes it can be way to stretch out NDIS funding and you will be encouraged to use the available mainstream supports, such as Medicare, before using your NDIS funding.

For example, you can access Mental Health Treatment Plan while waiting for your NDIS plan. Once you get your plan, you can use all the available sessions from Medicare and once they have been used, you can then use your NDIS plan.

Find out more about the Better Access to Mental Health Care program. The first step is to visit your GP (general practitioner) so they can assess if you have a mental disorder and if a Mental Health Treatment Plan is appropriate for you. You will need a longer session, so request this when making the appointment. They can refer you for a course of treatment up to six sessions. You may then be assessed to need an additional four sessions. You can have up to 10 sessions per calendar year.

If you have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder who needs help in any of the allied health areas including speech pathology, psychology, and occupational therapy you may also be eligible to receive a Chronic Disease Management Plan that gives you up to five sessions per calendar year. Start by making an appointment with your child, making sure that when you make the appointment you specifically say that you want to talk to the GP about a Chronic Conditions Management Plan for your child. Prepare for your visit by writing a list of your most serious concerns. Put these in order of priority. It is crucial that your GP understands the difficulties that you and your child experience. Even if you are unable to complete the plan on your first visit it is important that you persevere - hopefully the experience will convince your GP that you do need some additional professional help.