Medicare Tips for Families: A Quick Guide to Reducing Out‑of‑Pocket Costs

A pink piggy bank sits atop a calculator, symbolizing financial planning and savings.

1. Make the Most of the Medicare Safety Net

Once your family reaches the Safety Net threshold, Medicare increases your rebates for the rest of the calendar year. This means your out‑of‑pocket costs for psychology sessions can drop significantly.

What counts to

Safety Net:

• GP visits

• Paediatrician appointments

• Psychology sessions

• Allied health sessions with Medicare rebates

• Specialist appointments

Why it matters:   Families who reach the Safety Net often pay much less for assessment and therapy sessions.

Learn more: Medicare Safety Net explained

2. Register as a Medicare Family

When you register as a family, everyone’s gap fees contribute to the same Safety Net total.

Family pooling helps when:

• You have multiple children

• You have ongoing medical or allied health appointments

• You’re planning assessments later in the year

How to register: Medicare family registration

3. Time Assessments Strategically (When Appropriate)

If circumstances allow, schedule assessments after your family has likely reached the Safety Net.

This can reduce costs for:

• Autism assessments

• ADHD assessments

  
  

Why this works:   Once the Safety Net is reached, Medicare pays a higher rebate, reducing your out‑of‑pocket cost for each assessment session.

Explore assessments:

• Autism assessments

• ADHD assessments

4. When Not to Delay

Safety and wellbeing always come first. Do not delay assessment if your child is experiencing:

• Significant distress

• School refusal

• Eating or feeding concerns

• Rapid behavioural changes

• Safety concerns

• Regression in skills

In these situations, timely support is more important than waiting for the Safety Net.

5. Know Which Medicare Pathways Apply to You

Families often use a combination of:

Medicare Pathway	What It Covers	Who It’s For	Number of Sessions / Rebates	Who Can Refer	Best Used For
Mental Health Treatment Plan	Psychology therapy sessions	Children, teens, adults experiencing emotional, behavioural, or mental health concerns	Up to 10 sessions per calendar year	GP	Therapy for anxiety, OCD, emotional regulation, school stress, identity support
Chronic Disease Management Plan	Allied health sessions (including psychology)	Long‑term developmental, behavioural, or medical needs	5 sessions per calendar year	GP	Assessment sessions, multidisciplinary care
Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder & Disability Services (Assessment Items)	Rebates for assessmentsessions with psychology, OT, or speech	Children being assessed for neurodevelopmental conditions	4 assessment sessions	GP, paediatrician, psychiatrist, other specialists	Autism, ADHD, cognitive, developmental, or learning assessments
Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder Treatment Services (Autism Treatment Items)	Autism‑specific therapy sessions	Children & young people under 25 with a confirmed Autism diagnosis	20 sessions once in a lifetime	GP, paediatrician, psychiatrist	Communication, social development, emotional regulation, daily living skills
Eating Disorder Treatment Plan	Psychological therapy + dietetics	Children, teens, adults with eating disorders	40 psychology + 20 dietetic sessions per year	GP, paediatrician, psychiatrist	Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, OSFED, ARFID (case‑dependent)

Understanding these pathways helps families plan ahead and reduce costs.

Our psychologists can guide you through Mental Health Treatment Plans, Chronic Disease Management Plans, and the Medicare Safety Net so you can make informed decisions about assessments and therapy.

Whether you’re planning an Autism or ADHD assessment, navigating the Safety Net, or simply wanting clarity, we’re here to support you.

Book an appointment or learn more about:

• Autism assessments

• ADHD assessments

• Mental Health Treatment Plans