Is a Mental Health Care Plan the Same as a Referral?

No, a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) and a referral are not the same, though they are closely related.

An MHCP is a detailed document prepared by your GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician. It includes an assessment of your mental health, outlines your treatment goals, and provides a structured plan for accessing services to manage your condition. Importantly, an MHCP allows you to access Medicare-subsidised sessions with allied health professionals such as psychologists under the Better Access initiative.

A referral, by contrast, is a document that allows you to see a specialist, such as a psychiatrist. You do not need an MHCP to obtain a referral to a psychiatrist. A referral can be issued directly by your GP or another specialist, enabling you to consult a psychiatrist under Medicare.

At Wellvue, our psychiatrists can prepare MHCPs and include any necessary referrals to allied health professionals to support your ongoing care.