Private Health * WorkCover * NDIS Management Plans * Medicare (GP/Psychiatrist referral)
DVA * TAC * VAQ * LDSFS * Self-referral/Self-funded
Fees & Rebates
How much will it cost??
Brisbane City Psychology fees (from 1 July 2024)
(Medicare Rebate = $141.85 - see requirement details below)
Please Note: You or your referrer MUST provide a current GP Mental Health Care Plan, or Psychiatrist Referral
addressed to Dr Louise M. Blundell
to our Clinic before your first session, or you will not be able to receive a rebate.
(Please forward your referral to: admin@brisbaneclinic.com.au or have your GP mail or FAX this to us.)
Initial consultation 50mins* - $270
(= $128.15 out of pocket after you receive your Medicare Rebate)
(*your first session includes a further half hour after-session reflection and planning by your Psychologist)
Subsequent sessions 50mins - $240
(=$98.15 out of pocket after you receive your Medicare Rebate)
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Medicare Rebates
With a GP Mental Health Care Plan, or referral from a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist,
Medicare rebates of $141.85 per session for up to 10 sessions per calendar year apply.
A review with your GP is required after the sixth session to enable the further four rebates to be utilised.
If you have not used all of the rebates approved by your GP
in their most recent referral/review,
any remaining sessions will carry over into the subsequent year,
and will only require a further review once you have completed
the six or four sessions previously requested by your GP.
A review by your Psychiatrist or Paediatrician is required every three months to enable you to
continue to receive up to ten Medicare rebates for Psychology each year.
The gap between the full fee and this rebate are therefore :
Gap: $128.15 (1st Session) $98.15 (Subsequent sessions)
($270 Up-front payment) ($240 Up-front payment)
Please be aware that Medicare legally require payment of the full
up-front payment amount at the time of consultation.
Medicare then return the rebate amount of $141.85 to your account, typically within 3-24hours,
(allow up to 3 days), and you will therefore be out of pocket by only the 'gap' amount
once this rebate has been deposited back to your account by Medicare.
(Please Note: While the inconvenience is very much appreciated by our Clinic,
up-front payments are a legal Medicare requirement.
Frustratingly, it is not currently possible - and it is illegal, to only charge the gap payment,
whilst billing the remainder to Medicare.)
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All payments MUST be made immediately upon completion of your therapy session.
If you are receiving a TeleHealth appointment, you MUST call reception on:
07 3270 4555
immediately after your TeleHealth session.
(You will be sent a text message with the above number once your details have been passed
to our Brisbane Clinic Reception staff by Dr Blundell.)
Not calling in to pay for your appointment creates an extraordinary extra burden on our
therapists and reception staff in chasing up non-payments.
We very much appreciate your courtesy and understanding in this regard.
If you are struggling financially, please discuss this with your therapist,
as a payment arrangement may be possible if required.
Please note however, that no further appointments will be able to be scheduled
until full payment has been received for your previous session.
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Dr Blundell is an approved NDIS / WorkCover / DVA / TAC / Redress provider
Each of these organisations have their own fee schedules with no out of pocket expense for yourself.
Please discuss your referral process with your contacts for each of these organisations.
NDIS referrals: you must already have an identified Manager/Co-ordinator,
or have NDIS pre-approval to meet with Dr Blundell if your funding is self-managed.
Redress Counselling referrals: you MUST provide them with Dr Blundell's details PRIOR to your first meeting,
and provide us with your Redress Identification Number and a Redress contact name/email
well in advance of your first appointment,
as Dr Blundell will also need to confirm approval with Redress PRIOR to your first meeting.
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Victim Assist Queensland (VAQ)
If you are eligible for VAQ funding support for your therapy sessions, you will need to provide the Clinic with full details of your VAQ contact and your VAQ Claim Number before you commence therapy sessions if you are wanting to utilise your VAQ funding entitlement. We will not be able to process any payments to VAQ without this information.
Please note: If you are eligible for rebates under a Mental Health Treatment Plan, VAQ require you to utilise the Medicare rebates toward your therapy sessions, until these rebates are exhausted each year.
It is unfortunately not possible for professionals to bill both Medicare and VAQ separately for a session. This means that you will be required to pay the full fee to the Clinic immediately after each session.
Our reception staff will then process your Medicare claim immediately, and you will typically receive the rebate into your banking account within 12-24 hours (allow up to 72hours).
Our reception staff will then be able to provide a receipt showing the gap amount between the full fee and the Medicare rebate, which you can then claim directly from VAQ yourself.
Please note that our reception staff are unable to do this for you. Your VAQ contact person will be able to advise you further about the process at their end.
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LDSFS Referrals
If you have a GP Mental Health Care Plan or Psychiatrist referral you are able to receive Medicare rebates
in the usual way. i.e. you pay the full fee up front, and you will receive the Medicare rebate ($137.05)
back into your account, typically within 12-24 hours.
If you have previously discussed and agreed between you and your Bishop, that your Ward will support you
with the funding of your therapy sessions, there are three options:
(You must have either a current GP « Mental Health Treatment Plan » or a Psychiatrist referral to enable a Medicare rebate - for Option 1 or 2.)
1. Option 1 is the most usual option, if you have a GP/Psychiatrist referral, AND we have received text or email approval from your Bishop. You pay an upfront fee of $175 for your first session and $145 for all subsequent sessions, with the Medicare rebate of $141.85 being returned by Medicare
to the banking account you have nominated with Medicare - usually within 3-24hrs (allow up to 72hrs)
such that your total out of pocket cost once your rebate has been received will be
$33.15 for your first session, and $3.15 per session thereafter.
We then bill your Bishop/Ward Clerk directly via email for payment of the gap amount of $95.
We MUST have written agreement from your bishop - via letter, email or text PRIOR to your first attendance.
You will therefore also need to provide us with the names of your Ward, Bishop and Ward Clerk.
Please Note: If there are any difficulties with payments being made in a timely manner by your ward,
we will need to revert to Option 2 - which would require you to pay the full fee, with us then providing
you with the invoice detailing the gap amount, for you to take directly to your Bishop
and they would then reimburse you directly.
2. Option 2 is for the individual to pay the whole fee amount ($270.00/$240.00) upfront,
and a Medicare rebate of $141.85 will then be returned to your account by Medicare within 12-24hours.
We will then provide you with a receipt at the time of payment,
which details the total amount paid by yourself, the Medicare rebate received, and the gap amount.
You then take your receipt from us, and
- PROVIDED YOUR BISHOP HAS PREVIOUSLY AGREED THIS WITH YOURSELF,
you then give this to your Bishop,
who will refund to you directly, the gap amount of $128.15 for a first session
and $98.15 for up to nine subsequent sessions in a calendar year.
3. The third option is if you do not have a GP/Psychiatrist referral, and you have agreement/approval
from your Bishop, your Ward/Bishop can be billed
either a part of, or the whole, session fee - $270/$240.00.
If you agree with your Bishop to pay a portion of the fee, your Ward will then pay the difference between
your contribution and the full fee and we will bill them directly,
or they may have agreed to cover the entire session fee
for a certain number of sessions, and we will in this instance bill the entire fee directly to your Bishop.
**Your Bishop MUST advise us via text/email of this approval PRIOR to your first session.**
This might occur, for example, if you do not want to, or are not able to access Medicare, or
if you have already utilised the ten Medicare rebates available in any calendar year,
or you have not renewed your GP/Psychiatrist referral
- which is due after the sixth and tenth sessions each year for GP referrals,
or every three months for Psychiatrist referrals.
You MUST however provide us with written agreement from your Bishop, via letter, email or text,
that they are willing to approve the full cost, before we can send invoices to them.
4. You may choose to pay the entire fee yourself, if you choose not to claim a rebate via Medicare or your own Private Health, and do not wish to be reimbursed from your Ward/Branch funds.
The first or second options are generally preferred as this lessens the financial impact on your ward funds,
but this is of course entirely between yourself and your Bishop to decide.
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Self-Referral/Self-funded and Private Health
Self-referral/Self-funded and Private Health referrals are also readily accepted.
Please contact your private health insurer to find out the rebate amount available.
Private Health cover can be used after your ten annual Medicare sessions have been utilised.
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TeleHealth
TeleHealth appointments (via video or telephone) are now available to everyone,
and no longer only for those living in rural/remote regions.
Video sessions are available via the following double-end encrypted platforms
(which is required for your confidentiality):
:
* FaceTime - if you have an iPhone/iPad/MacBook
* WhatsApp - any mobile phone
* Coviu Online Therapy Room - via Mobile Phone or LapTop/PC, using the following link: https://brisbanecitypsychology.coviu.com/room/@drlouisemblundell
Fees for TeleHealth sessions are the same as for in-person appointments.
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Cancellation/Non-Attendance Policy
Please provide at least 48 hours notice if you are unable to attend an appointment.
This will allow us sufficient time to offer the appointment to someone on our waiting list
and thereby avoid appointments being unused/wasted.
It is appreciated that at times unexpected and unavoidable emergency circumstances
may result in the need to cancel or reschedule an appointment at short notice,
and this will be considered with regard to cancellation fees.
However, in general a minimum of 24 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment
without incurring a fee. (As much notice as possible would of course be greatly appreciated.)
Please be considerate of this courtesy, as we have many people anxiously awaiting an appointment
which they may be able to attend, given sufficient notice.
Please also be aware that if a session has been booked, the costs incurred for accommodation,
administrative and other fees are still charged to your therapist,
even if you do not then attend your scheduled appointment,
so sufficient notice to refill the appointment is very much appreciated.
Note: If the missed appointment is able to be filled at short notice (and we try very hard to achieve this for you),
or if there is another appointment available during that same week and you are able to attend at that time,
no cancellation fee will be charged.
An appointment reminder is sent to your mobile number via our automated appointment reminder system
three days prior to your appointment.
This provides you with plenty of time to cancel your appointment within the 48 hour time frame
and allows us plenty of time to re-allocate your appointment.
Please respond 'Y' or 'N' (Yes or No) to this first reminder
to confirm or cancel your appointment.
We will be automatically notified of any cancelled appointments if you reply 'N'
and confirmed appointments will be automatically registered as such on our online diary.
You may also provide further information to this automated number if you need to do so.
Any additional information is automatically forwarded on to our Office Mobile number.
You may also of course still text directly to our Office Mobile number.
These will be received by our part-time Receptionist when she is available.
A further courtesy reminder will also be sent to your mobile
the day before your appointment via our automated reminder system.
There is no need to respond to this second reminder.
Please be aware that these reminder texts are provided purely as a courtesy,
to assist you in remembering to attend (or cancel) your appointment.
It is the personal responsibility of each individual to remember their own appointment time,
so please do whatever you need to do, to help you remember your appointment
and avoid non-attendance or late notice cancellation fees.
APS Guidelines recommend a cancellation charge of 100% of the consultation fee
if less than 24 hours notice is provided.
However, BCPs cancellation fee is as follows:
80% of the consultation fee if less than 24 hours notice is provided
and the appointment is unable to be filled
(e.g. $192.00 for a Regular 50 minute Session)
**Please note that Monday appointments will need to be cancelled before lunch-time on Friday,
as any messages sent on Friday afternoon, or over the weekend, will not be received until Monday morning.**
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Couples Therapy
Many times 60 minute sessions will be sufficient, in which case
couples therapy is charged at a similar rate to a 50 minute individual therapy session - $260
(The slightly higher cost reflects the extra 10 minutes therapy time as well as the additional time taken by your
therapist after your session, to reflect on the therapy process and goals.)
It is sometimes, however, necessary or beneficial to have a longer session for couples therapy,
in which case the following fees apply:
80 minute session - 1.5 sessions½½½½½- $360
110 minute - double session - $480
Longer sessions will need to be pre-arranged to accommodate the extra time required.
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Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR requires two consecutive sessions - 110-120mins = $480 per double session
i.e. $338.15 gap after Medicare, as Medicare will only provide one $141.85 rebate for one session per day.
**You may however be able to claim a rebate for the second hour of your session
through your Private Health Care fund.**
If you have reached your Medicare Safety Net threshold for the year
you will also receive an additional rebate of 80% of the out of pocket cost for your session.
(Please call Medicare 132 011 or view the Government Medicare website for further information on this.)
If you are using our online booking system, for EMDR appointments TWO appointments must be booked at particular times, so the two appointments do NOT cross Dr Blundell's lunch and afternoon tea breaks,
as follows:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10.00am AND 11.00am or
12.30pm AND 1.30pm or
3.00pm AND 4.00pm
Fridays: 10.00am AND 11.00am or
2.30pm AND 1.30pm
(You must not for example book 11.00am AND 12.30pm,
or 1.30pm AND 3.00pm as these would cross half hour breaks and will not be possible.)
EMDR is a very effective Trauma Processing method for Chronic or Extreme Trauma or Neglect experiences.
Note: For many people just one or two sessions of EMDR is sufficient to resolve many PTSD symptoms.
For very extreme, repeated trauma, or multiple types of trauma experiences, including those who experience DID*,
a greater number of EMDR sessions may be required. These can be paced according to need and affordability.
(*EMDR is not always appropriate for extreme trauma or DID. This will need to be considered with your therapist.)
EMDR can often significantly reduce the number of overall sessions needed to work through PTSD.
A trusting therapeutic relationship must however first be established for EMDR to be effective.
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Neuropsychological Assessments
These are complex and detailed assessments of cognitive (brain) functioning
which identify difficulties and strengths related to thinking, memory, organisation, planning, reasoning etc
This may be required for example, subsequent to head injury, stroke, dementia,
to assess an existing Learning Disability
or for Intellectual/Intelligence assessment (i.e. IQ)
Assessments can be undertaken as:
- a number of single one-hour sessions on separate days
- a number of single two-hour sessions on separate days
- two 2-hour sessions on a single day, with a half hour break in between
The timing of appointments is your choice, and is typically dictated by the urgency with which the assessment is required to be completed. All appointments must be booked in advance to enable allocation of sufficient appointment times.
* Basic Cognitive/Intellectual Neuropsychological Assessment
(Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (IV) + any other individual tests as required)
No. of Assessment Sessions: 1 initial session + 4-6 testing sessions + 1 feedback session is required
(ie 6-8 one hour sessions in total)
Report: Scoring, Analysis and Report writing - 6-8 hours
Total Cost: $3003 (including report) (This includes GST : $2730 + $273 GST)
Cost is payable via an up-front payment of $380.00 at each of the 6-8 clinical sessions,
with any remaining cost payable prior to receipt of the report.
* Full Cognitive/Intellectual/Neuropsychological Assessment
(Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (IV) + Wechsler Memory Scales (IV) + individual tests as required)
No. of sessions: 1 initial session + 6-8 testing sessions + 1 feedback session are required
(ie 8-10 one hour sessions)
Report: Scoring, Analysis and Report writing - 8-10 hours
Total Cost: $3850 (including report) (this includes GST: $3500 + $350 GST)
Cost is payable via an up-front payment of $380.00 at each of the 8-10 clinical sessions,
with any remaining cost payable prior to receipt of the report.
Neuropsychological assessment fees are approximately $250 per one hour clinical session/report time.
Please Note: Medicare does not provide rebates for Neuropsychological Assessments
Some Health Care Funds may do so. Please check with your Health Care fund.
Payment Plans are available upon request.
All payments must be received before a report can be released.
Please also Note: On rare occasions an additional 1-2 assessment sessions may be required
at a further cost of $180 per session.
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Reports
Standard Review Letters are provided routinely to your GP/Psychiatrist/Paediatrician (at no extra cost),
after your 6th session, or at completion of your therapy encounter if you have not required six sessions.
Additional Specialist Psychological Reports and Letters are charged at a cost of $250 per hour.
**Please note that Medicare does NOT cover costs for additional psychological reports or letters.**
Following are typical report/letter writing times:
- brief letters/reports typically require 60 minutes to complete
- comprehensive psychological reports typically require 3-5 hours to complete.
- neuropsychological reports (including analysis) typically require 6-8 hours to complete.
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Medicare
The better access to mental health care initiative currently allows
individuals experiencing psychological distress
to receive a $136.35 (per session) rebate for psychological services under Medicare
with a GP, Psychiatrist or Paediatrician referral:
for up to 10 individual therapy sessions
and up to 10 group therapy sessions,
in any calendar year (1st January to 31st December).
If you/your family have reached the Medicare Safety Net threshold for the year,
you will receive a rebate of 80% of the total session fee.
Please check the Medicare website, or contact Medicare directly to find out more
about the Medicare Safety Net system, on 132 011.
This allowance of ten Medicare rebates for Psychology renews at the commencement of
each new year - ie 1st January.
(This may or may not require a renewed Mental Health Care Plan via your GP,
dependant on how many sessions remain on your current plan or review.
Please check with Medicare on 132 011 if you are unsure.)
To receive this rebate you must be referred by a GP under a ‘Mental Health Care Plan’
(Medicare item number 2712), or referred by a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
You will need to bring this referral with you to your first appointment to receive the rebate.
When making an appointment with your GP to discuss this,
a ‘long’ consultation is recommended.
Private Health Insurance
If you have private health insurance,
insurers offer rebates for psychological services if you are covered for this.
A GP/Psychiatrist referral is usually, but not always, required.
Please contact your private health insurer for further details.
Appointments
Appointments or enquiries can be made by:
Text (preferred) or call our Office Mobile:
0435 591 493
(You can text/call at any time but these will only be received/seen 9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
(if calling and your call is unanswered please leave a clear message,
and send a brief text with your name and requirements, as sometimes messages are not clear due to poor reception from where you are, and you may not realise that your call is inaudible.)
or phoning our Clinic Landline:
(07) 3270 4589
(24hr answer service - messages received 9am-5pm M-F)
and we will get back to you as soon as we can - within business hours.
All calls will be treated in strictest confidence and with utmost respect.
Appointment times available at Brisbane Clinic are:
10.00am 11.00am 12.30pm 1.30pm 3.00pm 4.00pm
on Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
10.00am 11.00am 12.30pm 1.30pm 2.30pm 3.30pm
on Fridays
All appointments can be In-Person or TeleHealth (Telephone or Video
Video appointments can be via:
FaceTime - iPhone/Apple Devices
WhatsApp- any Mobile
or Coviu - Laptop/PC/Mobile (we will text/email you a link for access)
Upon receipt of an appointment request from yourself or your referring medical practitioner,
we will text you to advise of our next current available appointment times,
and you will also be provided with a link to our online appointment diary, through which you can schedule appointments suitable to yourself, and check up-to-date availability - as this can change very quickly.
You will not be able to cancel appointments via the online diary, but please just text us to advise
if you need to do so, and we will cancel this for you at our end. You will be able to check all of your currently scheduled appointments via your account with the online diary system.
If you have made an error - please just book your preferred appointment time and then
text us to advise of the appointment you would like to cancel, and we will do this for you.
If you are not able to book your preferred day or time, please do check back regularly with our online diary, as we typically have one or two appointments become available each week,
due to reschedules or cancellations.
As emails are not reviewed daily, if you do want to provide information via email,
please also telephone or text us, to advise of any email communications
via 0435 591 493 (preferred) or 07-3270 4589, to ensure that we are aware of your email,
and particularly to ensure that it has not been inappropriately redirected to JunkMail.
We look forward to hearing from you..
