MyMedicare – Better Access Initiative
The Better Access Initiative is an Australian Government program that enables eligible Australians access Medicare-subsidised mental health treatment services, helping to ensure support is available regardless of where they live.
Through the initiative, people with clinically diagnosed mental health condition may be eligible to receive Medicare rebates to access evidence-based mental health care provided by qualified health professionals.
Who can provide Better Access services?
Approved Better Access providers include:
Eligible General Practitioners (GPs)
Prescribed Medical Practitioners (PMPs)
Psychiatrists
Psychologists (clinical and registered)
Eligible Social Workers and Occupational Therapists
Medicare rebates available
To access Medicare benefit under Better Access, patients must have either a mental health treatment plan (MHTP) or a psychiatrist assessment and management plan (PAMP). In addition, a valid referral for eligible allied health services is required by either a general practitioner or prescribed medical practitioner at the general practice they are enrolled in for MyMedicare, or their usual medical practitioner. This does not apply if a patient has received a direct referral from a psychiatrist or a paediatrician.
Eligible patients can claim Medicare benefits for:
Up to 10 individual mental health treatment services per calendar year (1 January to 31 December); and
Up to 10 group therapy services per calendar year.
Patients may choose to access additional services beyond these limits, but Medicare rebates will not be available for services above the annual cap.
Accessing care via telehealth
Medicare-funded telehealth services that were made available in response to COVID-19 pandemic, are now permanent. This means eligible Australians can access individual mental health treatment services via telehealth, regardless of their location, where clinically appropriate and safe to do so.
Important changes effective from 1 November 2025
The Australian Government has introduced changes to the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners Initiative to respond to the Better Access evaluation. These changes came into effect on 1 November 2025 and include:
Linking the preparation of a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), referrals for treatment and reviews of a MHTP to either a patient’s GP at their MyMedicare registered practice or their usual medical practitioner, to improve continuity of care.
*Important notes:
patients can choose to see their usual medical practitioner irrespective of their existing MyMedicare registered status.
For the purpose of these changes, a patient’s usual medical practitioner is defined as someone who has provided the majority of services to the person in the previous 12 months or who is likely to provide the majority of services to the person in the following 12 months.
Removal of MHTP review and mental health consultation items under the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS), with GPs and PMPs able to use time-tiered professional (general attendance) items to review, refer and/or provide ongoing mental health consultation for a patient’s mental health. This allows GPs greater flexibility to determine the appropriate amount of time needed.
The MyMedicare and usual medical practitioner requirements will also apply to GP telehealth items for MHTPs, with these services no longer exempt from the established clinical relationship rule. Further information on the GP MBS telehealth (video and phone) established clinical relationship criteria and exemptions will be available from 1 November 2025 in explanatory note AN.1.1 on MBS Online.
Resources
Better Access Mental Health MBS User Guide
MPHN Better Access Mental Health MBS User Guide
The purpose of this resource is to support general practices to effectively use dedicated Better Access Mental Health MBS items and time-tiered professional (general) attendance MBS items to deliver comprehensive, planned care for patients.
Dedicated Better Access items remain in place to support mental health care, with these items being used to create new Mental Health Treatment Plans (MHTP); deliver focused psychological strategies including family carer participation services (where GPs and PMPs are recognised by the GPMHSC); and enable GPs and PMPs to participate in mental health case conferencing.
Through the general attendance MBS items MBS benefits will continue to be available for the review of MHTPs, referral for mental health treatment services and ongoing support for people with an assessed mental disorder.
The Better Access Mental Health MBS User Guide provides examples of how to use relevant MBS items to meet the requirements of the Better Access Initiative, including links to the MBS items and MBS Online explanatory notes.
Mental Health & Better Access Quality Improvement Activation Series
Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and the National MyMedicare PHN Implementation Program have developed this Mental Health Quality Improvement (QI) Activation Series to guide general practices in using practice data to organise and proactively deliver care for populations of their patients with a mental health condition.
The Activation Series consists of the following activities:
Data Cleansing for Mental Health
Patients with a mental health diagnosis without a mental health treatment plan.
Patients on a medication indicated in Mental Health without a Mental Health diagnosis.
Patients with a mental health treatment plan that have not visited the practice in 6 months.
Patients with a current diagnosis of mental health that require phone and video telehealth (e.g., High risk mental health patients with a Mental Health Treatment Plan)
Patients with a mental health and chronic disease diagnosis requiring MyMedicare registration guidance.
Each activity includes:
Step by step instructions for using practice software to search and identify relevant data, and links to practice software or data cleansing support materials
Sample audit worksheets to record your data results
Download Mental Health & Quality Improvement Activation Series
Further information and key resources:
Better Access initiative | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
MBS Online - Better Access changes from 1 November 2025
MyMedicare Patient Registration Checklist
MyMedicare, Chronic Conditions Management and Mental Health Treatment Plans
For support on MyMedicare, Better Access Initiative, and quality improvement activities, please contact your Primary Care Engagement Officer or reach out to us on mymedicaresupport@mphn.org.au for more information.