Pricing: Fee’s and Rebates
Psychologist pricing can be confusing…
There are rebates, out of pocket costs and the different types of clinicians… And what is a mental health care plan anyway?! We hear you – so here is a quick breakdown to (hopefully!) make things a little clearer. Can’t be bothered reading? Feel free to call us directly and we can give you pricing for your specific needs over the phone!
1300 668 256
First things first: a quick breakdown
There are 3 main variables that impact the cost of your appointment: the type, who the session is with and how you are paying. So let’s get started!
Type of Appointment
In industry this is called a ‘modality’ which is essentially just who will be attending. The main types of appointments or modalities are: Individual or one-on-one, Group, Family and Couples.
Type of Clinician
Depending on their qualification and years of experience, clinicians have different session rates. Most commonly you’ll find Provisional Psychologists, General Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists or Counsellors.
Rebates and Gap Payments
If eligible, Government insurers (think Medicare, NDIS etc) can cover costs or provide rebates. Your private health may also provide you a rebate. So what is a ‘gap payment’? To confuse you, the industry calls the difference between the cost of the session and your rebate the ‘gap’. For example $215 cost -$129 rebate = $86 gap. Clear as mud?
Type of appointment
As outlined above, the type of appointment is the first variable on cost. Different insurers cover different appointments types so we have also given the basic availability on rebates. As you can see the major Government insurances such as Medicare and NDIS only cover Individual appointment types.
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Individual
from $100
✔️ Private
✔️ Medicare
✔️NDIS
-
Couples counselling
from $270
✔️ Private
✖️ Medicare
✖️NDIS
-
Family counselling
from $230
✔️ Private
✖️ Medicare
✖️NDIS
Type of clinician
Another major influence on the price of your appointment is the type of clinician. Here at Tonic Psychology our team have a variety of qualifications and experience levels with varying costs per session. We have a breakdown and quick explanation for what each mean to help give some clarity! Getting confused? Please feel free to call us and we’ll be happy to talk you though your specific needs.
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Psychologist (Provisional)
from $100
✔️Masters Degree
✔️Provisional registration with AHPRA
✔️Completing Supervision
-
Psychologist (Senior Provisional)
from $110
✔️Fully qualified overseas with 6+ years experience
✔️Completing transitional studies
✔️Provisional registration with AHPRA
-
Psychologist
from $225
✔️Masters Degree
✔️General registration with AHPRA
✔️Minimum 6 years experience
Rebates and Gap Payments
Depending on if you are claiming through an insurer (either Government like Medicare or your private health), or simply paying yourself, there are some
Government Insurance
Many people access services using Medicare but that is not the only avenue. NDIS, WorkCover, TAC and a variety of other Government Insurances cover costs of mental health support.
✔️ Reduce or cover the cost
✖️ Only some types of clinicians
✖️ Only some types of appointments
Private Insurance
Government Insurers are restrictive with the types of clinicians you are able to see, so for those with private insurance, it can sometimes be a more flexible options to claim through your insurance company instead.
✔️ Reduce or cover the cost
✖️ Only some types of clinicians
✔️ Variety of types of appointments
Self Payment
While Medicare is often seen as the most obvious option, self payment can provide far more variety and in many cases reduce wait times and costs. Chat with us to find out more!
✔️ Access to affordable therapy packages
✔️ Any type of clinicians
✔️ Any types of appointments