A Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), also known as a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), is a document created by a General Practitioner (GP) that outlines a patient's mental health needs, treatment goals, and referrals to mental health professionals. This plan allows eligible Australians to access Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual and 10 group therapy sessions per calendar year with providers such as psychologists, social workers, or occupational therapists.

To obtain an MHCP, you must book a longer appointment (typically 30–45 minutes) with your GP to discuss your mental health symptoms and their impact on daily life. While a formal diagnosis is not always required, the condition must significantly affect your ability to manage everyday activities, and the GP will assess whether psychological support is appropriate.

Key details regarding Medicare rebates and the MHCP process include:

• Session Limits: Patients can initially access 6 individual sessions, followed by a GP review to access a further 4 sessions within the same calendar year.

• Rebate Amounts: As of 2024–25, rebates are approximately $96.65 for a registered psychologist and $141.85 for a clinical psychologist, though these rates vary by provider type and time.

• Eligibility: Any Australian with a Medicare card experiencing mental health difficulties (e.g., anxiety, depression, stress, trauma) can request a plan without needing to be in crisis.

• Validity: The referral itself does not expire, but the allowance of 10 sessions resets every January 1st, with unused sessions not rolling over to the next year.

• Process: After the initial 6 sessions, a review with the GP is mandatory before claiming the remaining 4 sessions, ensuring continued appropriateness of the treatment plan.