Referring to HeadwayHealth

We welcome enquiries about how our service may be able to assist you in your care of your clients. If you would like to discuss our service please call our practice manager Karen on 02 9453 3027, or if you would like to discuss a specific situation, please ask to speak directly with Dr. Hodgkinson or one of our clinicians.

HeadwayHealth is keen to talk with health professionals who share our passion for client care, so please contact Dr Katharine Hodgkinson if you would like to find out more.

Clients can refer themselves by contacting our service directly or health professionals can facilitate contact by completing our Online referral form.

Information on accessing services through Medicare MBS

Medicare Referral Requirements   – To be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate for consultations with a psychologist you will need to ask your GP if you are eligible for a referral letter and a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP); a MHTP is a plan created by you and your GP to provide treatment to assist you.  This plan allows for 10 rebates for consultations per calendar year; your GP will usually refer you for six consultations initially and you will need to book in with them again for a ‘review’ if you are seeking another course of treatment.  Your psychologist will need to communicate/write to your GP and keep records, and will seek your consent regarding confidentiality and communication requirements. If you choose to access a psychologist without a referral you can be billed privately or use private insurance cover (please check your entitlements as policies vary).  Relationship counselling is not covered and needs to be privately billed or provided by an alternative service. 

 It is necessary for GPs to create a MHTP and provide a referral letter if accessing Medicare, it is optional and helpful, but not required, to provide us with a copy of your MHTP.  So that we can provide a Medicare rebate for your appointment, it is a Medicare requirement that we have a copy of a referral letter for each course of treatment from your GP.  For the referral letter to be valid and meet Medicare requirements, it must contain the following: 

  • Date 
  • Patient’s name and date of birth 
  • Patient’s address 
  • An eligible mental health diagnosis (such as anxiety, adjustment disorder or depression, not ‘counselling’ or ‘stress’)
  • A request for the psychologist to provide services to the client 
  • The referring GP’s Medicare Provider Number and signature 
  • The number of consultations that you are being referred for in a course of treatment

It is helpful to ask the reception staff at the GP practice if you need to book a longer appointment with your GP to complete the above paperwork.