Telehealth
From 1 November 2017, patients in rural and remote locations will be able to claim rebates for video consultations through the Medicare Benefits Schedule ‘Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners’ (Better Access) initiative.
Initially, the changes announced would allow up to seven of ten Better Access mental health consultations to be provided via video conference(Better Access telehealth services). However, Medicare have announced that all ten sessions can now be provided via Skype.
The conditions classified as mental disorders for the purposes of these services are informed by the World Health Organisation, 1996, Diagnostic and Management Guidelines for Mental Disorders in Primary Care: ICD-10 Chapter V Primary Care Version.
The person receiving care must be located in Monash Modified Model (MMM) areas 4 – 7.
The person receiving care must:
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be eligible for Medicare rebates; and
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not be admitted to hospital at the time; andnot a patient of an emergency department at the time; and
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be located both :(i) within a telehealth eligible area at the time of the attendance; and(ii) located at least 15 kilometres by road from the eligible allied health provider.
Commonwealth subsidised residents of a residential aged care facility are not able to receive Better Access telehealth services.
General Practitioners cannot bill for video consultations to prepare or review Mental Health Treatment Plans or deliver GP Focussed Psychological Strategies.
Under the Better Access initiative, new items for Telehealth services will be available at the same rebate as the existing ten face-to-face eligible services for allied health providers.
There is strong evidence demonstrating that psychological services provided using videoconferencing technology can be as effective as a face-to-face consultation for a variety of mental health problems. For example, the quality of the therapeutic alliance in telehealth is comparable to face-to-face consultations, particularly when the provider makes adjustments to the expression of empathy, is clear about the purpose, goals and limitations of treatment, and where they take steps to optimise the visual and audio experience.
At Small Steps Psychology, we offer skype for out-of-town patients.
