Psychological Fees & Rebates
The Australian Psychological Society recommends an hourly rate for psychological services of $300 (2023-2024 financial year). Please find below our list of fees which are generally under the recommended rate.
The fee for a standard consultation (50 mins):
Dianna Giles - Social Worker is $240
Kamellia Trebilco - General Psychologist is $220
Dr Janine Oostenbroek - General Psychologist is $230
Dr Kirsten Finn - Clinical Psychologist is $250
(Medicare rebates available with a valid mental health care plan and GP referral)
The fee for Couples Therapy with Di Giles is $260 (50 mins).
(There are no Medicare rebates available for couples therapy).
AFTER HOURS APPOINTMENTS
*Appointments for individual therapy after 5pm on weekdays or any time on weekends (or outside of a clinician’s working hours) will incur an additional $20
LETTER WRITING FEE
There are fees associated with writing support letters to agencies other than your GP or psychiatrist for Medicare related correspondence.
CANCELLATION POLICY & FEES
The Australian Psychological Society recommends psychologists charge cancellation and non-attendance fees to promote client attendance, cover running costs, reduce waiting lists, and ensure those most in need of appointments receive a timely service. The APS recommends the following cancellation fees:
0 - 24 hours notice: Full fee
24 - 48 hours notice: 50% of fee
48 hours - 7 days notice: 25% of fee
When you book an appointment with us, the practitioner reserves a significant amount of time especially for you. Therefore, we require 48 business-hours notice and the following cancellation policy is in place to allow us to offer the allocated time to another person who may be on a waiting list for that appointment.
We are always happy to switch to telehealth sessions if you are too unwell to attend a session in person.
OUR CANCELLATION FEES:
Non-attendance without cancelling = Full session fee (includes GST)
0 - 24 business hours notice = Full fee (includes GST)
24 - 48 hours notice = $100 (includes GST)
We understand that unforeseen circumstances sometimes arise and you may be unable to attend your appointment as a result. If this happens to you, please contact us during business hours as soon as possible to discuss the situation. Extenuating personal circumstances will be taken into consideration when deciding if a cancellation fee applies eg Hospital admission, unforeseen complication with pregnancy or a pregnancy loss. Our cancellation notice period is based on clear business hours (8.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday) when notification is received, therefore excludes weekends.
Please note that you will not be able to re-book for another session until any outstanding fees have been paid in full.
Restored Wellbeing reserves the right to reschedule appointments, without compensation, if it is deemed necessary due to staff illness or unforeseen circumstances.
OVERDUE ACCOUNTS POLICY
We understand that sometimes the unexpected happens and your payment is late. If this occurs, please advise our reception staff as soon as possible. Payments left unpaid a week after the date of your consultation are considered overdue and will incur a $30 administration fee in addition to the cost of the overdue payment. For clients who consistently pay invoices late, payment will be required in advance of future appointments.
Restriction of future service
Restored Wellbeing will be in contact via email to follow up on overdue payment.
If we are unable to contact you, we may restrict your future services. This will result in:
- additional administration fees being charged
- potential termination of services and referral to debt collection agency
REBATES
The are several funding streams that can assist with the payment of psychological services:
Mental Health Care Plan: You and your GP can work together to explore whether you are eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan. This referral will then allow you to claim a Medicare rebate for 6 initial sessions and up to 10 sessions/year. This means that after you have paid for the consultation in full, you can receive the Medicare rebate. If you are eligible for Medicare rebates, we are happy to assist in processing Medicare claims, however please note that we do not hold responsibility for eligibility or processing of Medicare rebates - you are responsible for ensuring you have provided us with a valid referral.
Non-Directive Pregnancy Support Counselling: For a person who is currently pregnant or has been pregnant in the previous 12 months and is seeking support around pregnancy related issues, including pregnancy loss. This requires a referral letter from your GP (but not a mental health care plan) and a rebate is available for 3 sessions per pregnancy. Both Dianna and Kirsten are able to provide these rebates if the GP specifies that they are referring under this program. For information for your GP can be found here.
Private Health Funds: Please check with your health insurer to see if you are eligible to receive a rebate through your chosen clinician (psychologist or social worker). Please note that you cannot claim both Medicare and private health insurance for the consultation. For social work, some Private Health Funds may provide rebates for counselling services, at present these include BUPA, Teachers Credit Union Health Fund and Doctors Health Fund and as AASW negotiates with other funds, coverage will expand.
Self referral - If you do not want to use the above options, you are welcome to attend without a referral at the standard fee.