• From 1 November 2025, changes will be made to the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (Better Access) initiative, subject to the passage of legislation.

• These changes will enhance continuity of care by linking the preparation of a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), referrals for treatment, and reviews of a MHTP to either a patient’s General Practitioner (GP) or Prescribed Medical Practitioner (PMP) at a patient’s MyMedicare practice or their usual medical practitioner.

• To better integrate care for patient’s physical and mental health care needs, MHTP review and mental health consultation items will be removed from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), with GPs and PMPs able to use general attendance items.

• Guidance material will be available to support GPs and PMPs with MHTP referral practices, consistent with a patient’s intensity needs and the Australian Government’s stepped care model of mental health treatment.

What are the changes?

• MHTP preparation, referrals for psychological therapy services or focussed psychological strategies services, and reviews of a patient’s MHTP will be provided by either:

• a GP or PMP at the general practice in which the patient is enrolled in MyMedicare, or regardless of whether the patient is enrolled in MyMedicare, by the patient’s usual medical practitioner.

• GP and PMP MHTP review items (2712, 92114, 92126, 277, 92120, and 92132) and GP and PMP ongoing mental health consultation items (2713, 92115, 92127, 279, 92121 and 92133) will be removed from the MBS.
  
  This will allow GPs and PMPs to use time-tiered professional (general) attendance items to review, refer and/or provide ongoing mental health consultation for a patient’s mental health.

• The MyMedicare and usual medical practitioner requirements will apply to GP and PMP MHTP telehealth items, with these services no longer exempt from the established clinical relationship rule.

• These changes do not affect focussed psychological strategies services which will continue to be available to any patient from any eligible GP and eligible PMP who has the appropriate training recognised by the General Practice Mental Health Standards

• Referrals for mental health treatment services dated prior to 1 November 2025 remain valid until all treatment services under that referral (within the maximum session limit for the course of treatment) have been provided to the patient.

Why are the changes being made?

The changes will:

• Improve the Better Access initiative to better meet the needs of individuals and improve equity of access to mental health supports and services.

• Support the holistic relationship between a patient and their healthcare provider, leading to improved patient outcomes.

• Reduce the administrative burden and complexity for GPs and PMPs by providing greater flexibility by using time-tiered professional (general) attendance MBS items to review.

• MHTPs and undertake general mental health consultations.

These changes were recommended in the independent Better Access Evaluation undertaken by the University of Melbourne, published in December 2022. The Government’s response to the Evaluation was published in August 2024.

The Mental Health Reform Advisory Committee supported the Government’s response to the Better Access Evaluation by considering mental health reforms from a whole of system perspective. More information on the Committee is available in the Mental Health Reform Advisory Committee section of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website (the department)

A full copy of the Evaluation of the Better Access initiative – final report and the Australian Government response to the Better Access evaluation is available in the resources section of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.

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