Search for Psychologists with availability in your area
Karista provides a free service connecting you with Psychologists based on your personal needs and goals. Complete the form to let us know your needs and we will connect you to Psychologists with availability in your local area.
Medicare - Mental Health Care Plan
Accessing the right mental health support often starts with a Mental Health Care Plan. This Medicare-funded plan helps eligible individuals connect with allied health professionals and receive subsidised mental health services.
Karista supports individuals to understand their Mental Health Care Plan and use it to access appropriate services, making the process clearer and less overwhelming.
What is a Mental Health Care Plan?
A Mental Health Care Plan is a structured plan prepared by a GP to help people with a diagnosed mental health condition access Medicare-subsidised mental health services. The plan outlines:
- Your mental health needs and goals
- Referrals to suitable allied health professionals
- Recommended supports and services
- Review timeframes to monitor progress
Once in place, the plan allows you to claim Medicare rebates for eligible mental health services under the Better Access initiative.
How a Mental Health Care Plan helps you access services
A Mental Health Care Plan is the key document that enables Medicare funding for mental health support. With an active plan, individuals may be eligible for:
- Subsidised psychology or counselling sessions
- Support from other eligible allied health professionals
- Coordinated care based on agreed Care goals
Karista works alongside individuals to help them navigate their plan, understand what supports are available, and connect with appropriate services aligned with their needs.
What a Mental Health Care Plan looks like
Mental Health Treatment Plans follow a standard GP template used across Australia. This ensures your care is clearly documented and recognised by Medicare.
You can view the official GP Mental Health Treatment Plan template here:
GP Mental Health Care PlanYour GP completes this plan during a mental health assessment. Once finalised, it becomes the foundation for accessing Medicare-subsidised mental health services.
Getting Started
If you think a Mental Health Treatment Plan may be right for you, the first step is to speak with your GP. Once your plan is in place, Karista can help you understand your options and take the next steps toward accessing services.
FAQs
Can Karista help with mental health services?
Yes. Karista can help people find suitable mental health support, including psychology or counselling services where available.
What is a Mental Health Treatment Plan?
A Mental Health Treatment Plan is prepared by a GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician. It can allow eligible people to claim Medicare benefits for mental health services, including up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions with an eligible mental health professional each calendar year.
Do I need a GP referral for Medicare mental health sessions?
Yes. To access Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions under a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you generally need a referral from a GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Can Karista help me find a psychologist?
Yes. Karista can help you find suitable mental health providers based on your needs, location, availability, funding and preferences.
Can NDIS funding be used for mental health supports?
Some NDIS participants may have funding for psychosocial, therapy or capacity-building supports. Whether a service is suitable depends on the participant's plan, goals and funding categories.
Can Medicare and NDIS both be used?
Sometimes a person may access different supports through different funding pathways. Medicare, NDIS and private funding each have different rules. Karista can help identify service options, but funding eligibility should be confirmed with the relevant funder or provider.
Can Karista confirm my funding eligibility?
Karista can help you understand possible pathways, but eligibility and claiming rules are determined by the NDIS, aged care system, Medicare, insurers or providers.
How Karista Works
If you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan, Karista can connect you directly to psychologists with availability. Our focus is on helping individuals use their Mental Health Treatment Plan to access the right psychological support quickly and confidently.
When you upload your Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) to Karista:
This streamlined process makes it fast and simple to access the support you need, without delays or extra paperwork.