Better Access (Medicare Services)

NEW - Update on claiming 2710 and 2702 - January 2010

It seems there have been some problems arising recently for GPs claiming the MBS 2710 item number, there has been some kind of glitch in the communication between the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) and Medicare. This has resulted in a failure to activate the system to recognise GPs who have completed mental health skills training (MHST) since 2001 and are therefore eligible to continue to claim the 2710.

The GPMHSC office has been closed since Dec 24th and resumed business on Tuesday 12th January. It is most likely that this will result in some delays until the problem has been resolved. 

RACGP is advising that you inform your GPs and practice managers that delaying claiming of the 2710 item number is advisable until GPs have received a letter informing them of their eligibility to claim the 2710 (unfortunately, we cannot tell them when to expect this). Alternatively, the 2702 item (lesser rebate for GPs without MHST training) could be claimed without the risk of rejection – although at $30 less per Mental Health Treatment Plan.

Please note: a rejection of the 2710 item does not directly default to the 2702 item. GPs will have to resubmit the claim once their registration status has been recorded on the system.

Information from DoHA on the Mental Health Treatment Plan, new item number and Mental Health Skills Training

The aims of the Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative introduced in 2006 were to increase community access to General Practitioners, Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists and other allied mental health professionals for mental health care.

Resources & Tools

Better Access also provides GPs with new referral pathways and access to psychological services for their patients:

  • All GPs can refer patients who are being managed under a mental health care plan through Better Access for up to 12 individual and/or 12 group allied mental health services per calendar year;
  • GPs can refer to Clinical Psychologists, Psychologists, Social Workers and Occupational Therapists who are registered with Medicare Australia;
  • This initiative will also allow Psychiatrists and Paediatricians to directly refer patients with mental disorders to Clinical Psychologists and other allied mental health professionals for Medicare-rebatable services.

For more information about Better Access please visit: