Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

In continuation of the answer to the member for Lalor’s question, I think we were up to access to the MBS item by psychologists and I had said that a certain criterion would be applied. They will require a GP or a psychiatrist referral and not every psychologist will be able to simply access the MBS item. The member for Lalor also asked whether psychologists should be able to access the MBS item for all the services they provide and the answer to that is no. They will be able to access only the MBS item for services referred to them by a GP or psychiatrist. How that will be done in detail I cannot tell the shadow minister at this point, but I can certainly go into the detail that answers her question, which is that they will be able to access the MBS item for a service that has been referred to them by a GP or a psychiatrist but they will not be able to unilaterally apply the MBS to all of the services they provide.

The member for Lalor asked whether we are scrapping the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program, which surprises me because we have absolutely no intention of scrapping it. That program continues and I am not aware of why the member would think we are scrapping it. It is possible that she has information which has not been provided to me and I would be more than happy to receive that information if she wants to write to me or to ring my office. I am sure we can facilitate a discussion over that matter. She may want to provide me with that information because I have no instructions that that is the case. The government is a very enthusiastic supporter of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care package. We think it is making a substantial difference. Certainly the number of GPs who are being trained in mental health and all the stakeholders are happy to see it expand rather than not so. In the Youth Mental Health Foundation measure which was announced before the budget $15 million of the $69 million was put aside for GPs to work through the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care package in order to help young people, particularly with early intervention. There is no enthusiasm on the part of the government for the scrapping of Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care. I look forward to that continuing as a vibrant and active part of our arsenal of activities with which we seek to help people with mental illness.

The member for Lalor asked about the level of rebate. I think that is what she was getting at in terms of psychologists being able to access the MBS, therefore how much out-of-pocket expenses clients would be expected to provide. I can tell her that we are currently working closely with stakeholders on what the rebate should be. There is obviously a divergence of view, as the member for Lalor would expect, between what  psychologists would like to receive and what GPs and psyhiatrists and others think psychologists should receive. I am not in a position to tell her today what the rebate will be but we are close to finalising those figures and that will be announced well in advance of the 1 November start-up date on which we expect this new MBS item to come on board.

The member for Lalor asked about the distribution of psychologists across the country. I obviously come from an inner-city suburban electorate and we do not have quite the same difficulties as other members would have. In fact, I think everyone currently in the chamber is in the same position as me, except perhaps the member for McMillan, who has a more regional based electorate and might have issues—

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