Twenty subsidised mental health care sessions via professionals should be the norm, Corangamite MP Libby Coker says
Twenty subsidised mental health care sessions via professionals should be the norm beyond the federal government’s temporary lifting of the threshold of Medicare-subsidised therapy, Corangamite MP Libby Coker says.
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Twenty subsidised mental health care sessions via professionals should be the norm, Corangamite MP Libby Coker says.
The federal government recently lifted the number of Medicare subsidised therapy
sessions from 10 to 20 for all Victorians living under stage 3 or 4 COVID-19
restrictions but the level is due to be dropped back to 10 in March.
Ms Coker said 20 sessions should become the norm to help people manage mental health issues.
“The fact of the matter is that for many, they will still need to ration those 20
sessions over a long period of time to afford the long-term support,” Ms Coker said.
“By raising the cap to 20, the government acknowledged ten sessions wasn’t
enough to obtain the long-term support people needed.
“I will be calling on the government to make 20 sessions per year the norm.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly said mental health is a key priority for
his government.
Ms Coker urged Mr Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt to release a Productivity Commission report on mental health as soon as possible.
“That report, and the recommendations to improve mental health across our country,
are sitting on Greg Hunt’s desk,” Mr Coker, who has just finished a second round of calls to constituents to check in on their welfare, said.
“There is a mental health crisis in Australia, and the (federal) government isn’t doing enough.
It’s a risk we cannot afford.”
A spokesman for Mr Hunt said a task force was assessing the all Medicare benefits including mental health support.
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“To ensure that our mental health system is supported to deliver the latest and best possible care moving forward, the Government asked the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce to undertake a review of the entire MBS, including consideration of the mental health treatment items,” the spokesman said.
“The task force will submit its final recommendations to the government in the coming weeks.”
The spokesman said the Australian government has made mental health and suicide prevention a national priority with $5.7 billion committed recently.
“Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has announced a significant boost, totalling more than $500 million in additional funding, for mental health and suicide prevention, including the expansion of Medicare subsidised sessions for those affected by further restrictions and the creation of 15 mental health clinics in Victoria.”
Originally published as Twenty subsidised mental health care sessions via professionals should be the norm, Corangamite MP Libby Coker says