Understanding Better Access Mental Health Treatment Plans (MHTPs) - Including changes coming into effect 1st November 2025

Dr Olivia Campbell
Oct 28
9 min read

A guide for clients, therapists, and referrers.

One of the most common ways to access subsidised psychological care in Australia is through the Better Access initiative under Medicare.

At WellSpace Psychology, we help clients, referring doctors, and other mental health practitioners navigate how Mental Health Treatment Plans (MHTPs) and referrals work. This guide explains who can provide what; how MHTPs and referrals differ; and what to expect under the current Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).

We will also walk you through changes that come into effect 1st November 2025 which aim to improve continuity of care for clients, and streamline the review/re-referral process.

What Is “Better Access”?

Better Access is an Australian Government initiative designed to make psychological care more accessible and affordable. Through Better Access, eligible clients can receive Medicare rebates for therapy with approved mental health professionals.

As of 1st November 2025, clients can only receive Medicare benefits if they have an MHTP and referral either from a:

GP at their MyMedicare registered practice, or
their usual medical practitioner (i.e., the GP or clinic who has provided majority of their care over the past 12 months, or who will be providing majority of their care over the next 12 months).

Under the current arrangements:

Clients can access up to 10 individual and 10 group therapy sessions per calendar year
Services are subsidised via Medicare rebates, with out-of-pocket fees varying by provider

Approved Mental Health Professionals

Only specific practitioners can deliver therapy services under the Better Access initiative:

Psychologists
Accredited Mental Health Social Workers
Eligible Occupational Therapists
General Practitioners (GPs)

Approved Psychological Interventions

Several evidence-based, structured therapies are recognised under the Better Access initiative, including:

Psychoeducation
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Relaxation / stress-management strategies
Skills training (e.g., problem-solving, emotion regulation)
Interpersonal therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy)
Narrative therapy (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients)

MHTPs vs Referrals - What’s the Difference?

Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP)

A MHTP is a GP’s plan assessing a client's mental health needs and outlining management strategies
Claimed using GP item numbers: 2700, 2701, 2715, or 2717
Does not expire and does not need to be renewed annually
Required when there is a change in diagnosis
Is not a referral in and of itself. A referral is needed to see a mental health professional under Better Access

Referral

A referral is a request from a GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician for a course of treatment with an eligible mental health professional
Specifies a number of sessions (maximum 6 sessions per referral)
- If no number of sessions is specified, mental health professionals can assume the maximum allowed (i.e., 6 sessions, up to the annual 10-session limit)
Does not expire by date. Valid until the stated sessions are used
There is no standard format for a referral
- Can be embedded within an MHTP document
- Does not need to name a specific mental health professional. Clients have the right to choose their own therapist
- Ideally, referrals are written, and include:
  - Client details (name, DOB, etc.)
  - Diagnosis or symptoms
  - Reference to a MHTP being in place
  - List of medications
  - Requested number of sessions
  - Referrer’s signature and provider number

Courses of Treatment

A course of treatment is the number of services stated in the referral
A referral allows for an initial course of treatment (maximum 6 sessions). After those sessions, the mental health professional reports back to the referrer
The referrer can then issue a re-referral for a subsequent course of treatment (maximum 6 sessions, up to the annual 10-session limit)
Clients can access 2+ subsequent courses of treatment per calendar year, and require a new referral for each course of treatment

Managing Courses of Treatment Across Calendar Years

Unused sessions on a referral can roll into the new year, but they count toward the new years' 10-session limit

Example 1:

Client used 5/6 sessions in an initial course of treatment in 2025. Client can use the final session in 2026, and then return to referrer. Client may receive up to 6 sessions in their subsequent course of treatment. If required, client may access another subsequent course of treatment, with 3 of those sessions to be used within the year (bringing them to the annual 10-session limit for 2026).

Example 2:

Client used 6/6 sessions in an initial course of treatment in 2025, and is referred for 6 sessions in a subsequent course of treatment. Client can use 4/6 sessions from the subsequent course of treatment in 2025, but must wait until 2026 to use the final 2 sessions in the subsequent course of treatment.

Reviews and Re-Referrals

Claimed using GP standard consult item numbers (as of 1st November 2025)
A review of the MHTP is not required simply to issue a new referral. Reviews are required when there’s a change in presentation (but not diagnosis, as this would warrant a new MHTP). A maximum of two reviews per year is usually sufficient
A re-referral can be done as often as clinically needed

Reporting Back to the Referrer

Mental health professionals must send a report to the referring doctor:

At the end of every course of treatment
And again at completion of therapy

Reports should include:

Assessments conducted
Treatments provided
Recommendations for future care or additional sessions

Better Access & MHTPs: Quick Reference & FAQ

FOR CLIENTS

Q: How do I start the process of seeing a therapist?

Book a GP appointment for a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP). Your GP will assess your needs and, if appropriate, refer you for therapy.

As of 1st November 2025, you must see either the GP at your MyMedicare registered practice or your usual medical practitioner (i.e., the GP or clinic who has provided majority of your care over the past 12 months, or who will be providing majority of your care over the next 12 months).

Q: How many sessions do I get?

Up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions per calendar year.

Q: Do I have to pay?

Typically, you will pay the fee for your therapy session up-front, and then Medicare will pay the rebate into your bank account. This is usually done on the day of the appointment. There will likely be an out-of-pocket cost, as therapist's fees are typically higher than the rebate offered by Medicare.

Q: Do I need a new MHTP each year?

No. Only if your diagnosis changes or your GP decides a new plan is necessary.

Q: Can I choose my therapist?

Yes. You can take your referral to any eligible mental health professional, even if that's not who is named on the referral letter.

Q: What if I don’t use all my sessions by year-end?

They carry over, but still count toward your new year’s 10-session limit.

Q: What if I do use all my sessions before the year ends?

The decision to subsidise 10 sessions of therapy per year is not clinically-indicated. It was a financial decision made by Medicare. If you need more than 10 sessions per year that does not say anything negative about you or your progress in therapy. After you've exhausted your 10 Medicare sessions per year you become a private paying client (and may use your private health insurance, if you're covered).

Q: I've seen my therapist for 6 sessions, and have been told I need to get a new referral before I can continue seeing them. What do I do?

You can continue to see your therapist between now and when you receive a new referral, however this would be as a private fee-paying client (i.e., you would not be eligible for a Medicare rebate).

To access your subsequent course of treatment, you will need to return to either the GP at your MyMedicare registered practice or your usual medical practitioner (i.e., the GP or clinic who has provided majority of your care over the past 12 months, or who will be providing majority of your care over the next 12 months) and request either a review of your MHTP (if there's been a change in your situation) or a re-referral.

FOR THERAPISTS

Q: What constitutes a valid referral?

There is no minimum standard for a referral under Better Access. Ideally, a referral should include:

Client details (name, DOB, etc.)
Diagnosis or symptoms
Reference to a MHTP being in place
List of medications
Requested number of sessions
Referrer’s signature and provider number

Referrals may be embedded within a MHTP document.

Referrals do not need to include your name/practice name/practice address. Clients have a right to choose their own therapist, so can use a referral to see the therapist of their choosing.

Q: Do MHTPS and referrals expire?

No.

Q: What if the referral does not state the number of sessions?

You can assume the maximum (i.e., 6 sessions, up to the annual 10-session limit).

Q: What if the referral is for more than 6 sessions?

The maximum number of sessions provided by a referral is 6. This rule is set out by the MBS and cannot be overridden by a referrer.

Q: What if a re-referral for a subsequent course of treatment is for 6 sessions, but I've already seen the client for 6 sessions that calendar year?

You may see the client for 4 sessions this calendar year (bringing them to a total of 10 sessions for the year), and see them for the remaining 2 sessions left on the referral in the following calendar year before the client is due for a re-referral.

Q: Does my client need a new MHTP each year?

No. MHTPs are required when there is a change in diagnosis or if the GP decides a new plan is necessary.

Q: My client completed their initial course of treatment, but cannot access a subsequent course of treatment because enough time has not elapsed. Is this correct?

MHTPs generally cannot be created within 12 months of a previous MHTP.
As of 1st November 2025, reviews and re-referrals are billed using the standard GP consultation item. There is no minimum time period between reviews, and re-referrals. They may be completed as often as clinically necessary.
Your client should ask for a review/re-referral to access their subsequent course(s) of treatment, not a new MHTP (unless there has been a change in their diagnosis).

Q: When do I need to write a report back to the referrer?

At the end of every course of treatment and again at completion of therapy.

Q: Does my report need to include a diagnosis?

MBS Online does not stipulate this. Reports should include:

Assessments conducted
Treatments provided
Recommendations for future care or additional sessions

FOR GPs & REFERRERS

Q: What should I include on my referral?

There is no minimum standard for a referral under Better Access. Ideally, a referral should include:

Client details (name, DOB, etc.)
Diagnosis or symptoms
Reference to a MHTP being in place
List of medications
Requested number of sessions
Referrer’s signature and provider number

Referrals may be embedded within a MHTP document.

Referrals do not need to be addressed to a specific therapist. Clients have a right to choose their own therapist, so can use a referral to see the therapist of their choosing.

Q: How often does a client need a new MHTP?

A MHTP never expires. New MHTPs are required if there is a change in diagnosis. Typically, new MHTPS that are created within 12 months of a previous plan are rejected by Medicare.

Q: When should I do a review/re-referral?

As of 1st November 2025, reviews and re-referrals are billed using the standard GP consultation item. There is no minimum time period between the creation of a MHTP and a review/re-referral, nor is there a minimum time period between subsequent reviews/re-referrals. Reviews/re-referrals may be completed as often as clinically necessary. Referrals do not expire. No more than two reviews/re-referrals should be needed in a calendar year.

Q: Do my patients need to wait until 1st January to get their review or re-referral?

No, you may write a referral at any time, which remains valid until the course of treatment has been completed. If the patient has already used their annual 10-session limit, they will need to wait until 1st January to utilise the sessions with their therapist, but the referral can be written before the new year. Unused sessions can roll into the next year, but they count towards the new year's 10-session limit.

Q: Who can prepare a MHTP and do a review/re-referral for a patient?

As of 1st November 2025, eligible clients can only receive Medicare benefits if they have an MHTP and referral either from a GP at a client's MyMedicare registered practice or their usual medical practitioner (i.e., the GP or clinic who has provided majority of their care over the past 12 months, or who will be providing majority of their care over the next 12 months). This change ensures continuity of care for patients receiving mental health care.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this article represents WellSpace Psychology’s interpretation of publicly available information from MBS Online and Services Australia, current as of 13 October 2025.

It is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as professional, legal, or financial advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, WellSpace Psychology and the author accepts no liability for any errors, omissions, or outcomes arising from reliance on this content.

Readers are encouraged to refer directly to the official MBS Online and Department of Health resources for the most up-to-date and authoritative information or to seek independent advice relevant to their circumstances.