What is bulk billing?
Medicare provides a rebate for sessions with Clinicians under a number of different treatment plans including a Mental Health Care Plan, Eating Disorders Treatment Plan or Chronic Disease Management Plan. Bulk billing is where you are able to attend sessions with a Clinician free of charge as the Clinicians bills Medicare directly the rebated amount.
Why don't you bulk bill?
From November 2012 to July 2020, the Australian Government had frozen Medicare rebates. This meant that for eight years, the rebate amount for sessions did not grow whilst the costs of running a practice, including rent, utilities, and staff costs continued to increase. Furthermore, the increase in the Medicare rebate in July this year was 0.9%, which is substantially lower than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase which was at 3.8% at the end of the June 2021 quarter. Consequently, the gap between Medicare rebates and cost of living expenses will continue to widen. As a result, it is not possible for The Mind Body Practice to meet our running costs each year without having a gap (out-of-pocket) fee.
At The Mind Body Practice, we value excellence and pride ourselves on providing a high quality, individualised service. Our services to you start from the administrative processes involved in booking your appointments to our excellent Clinicians working to provide you with the highest quality treatment. Behind the scenes of your treatment, your Clinician is also keeping up-to-date notes of your progress, working with your support network, liaising with your wider treatment team and providing a safe & comfortable therapeutic space. In addition, our Clinicians continue to engage in professional development activities to ensure that they remain at the forefront of research in psychological treatments.
The fees we charge have to cover the costs of having Clinicians of a high calibre as well as all of our practice costs, including employing administrative staff, and running costs such as rent, utilities, insurances, licensing and technology that ensures the safety of keeping electronic medical records. Unfortunately, bulk billing would compromise a number of these areas which we believe may contribute to longer waiting times, less support between sessions, poorer customer service and less communication with your treatment team due to time constraints.
As we value excellence, we wish for all our clients to have the highest level of care and service. We strive to ensure the best outcomes for you and your loved ones.
Our Fees
In addition to valuing excellence, we also place a strong emphasis on balance. We understand that struggling with mental health issues can be difficult and want to ensure we maintain affordable fees so you can access the care you need.
Psychologists and psychology practices are recommended to have our fees guided by the Australian Psychological Society (APS), which set the fee at $267.00 for a 50-minute session with a Psychologist. At The Mind Body Practice, we work toward ensuring that our fees are substantially lower. With a valid referral from your GP, the rebate you would receive from Medicare covers a significant portion of your session fee thus reducing your out-of-pocket costs.
How to Book
To book your session with a Psychologist, contact us on 80917867 today.