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JUST one-quarter of consultations by clinical psychologists are being bulk-billed under the $1.8 billion Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative which is meant to ensure patients battling mental health problems can obtain affordable treatment.
The figure - revealed for the first time by the Federal Government - contrasts sharply with that for GPs, who are bulk-billing more than 90% of services when providing mental health counselling under the initiative. When GPs do charge a gap fee, the average amount is $18.58 - almost $10 less than that charged by clinical psychologists.
Since the introduction of the Better Access initiative there have been claims that psychologists would exploit patients' access to Medicare rebates by raising their fees - a claim denied by the profession.
But a leading mental health expert condemned psychologists last week, claiming they were using Medicare...