Accounts & Payments
Service Fees
Please note: 4thought requires full payment of all consultation fees on the day of your appointment.
We prefer payment via credit card (VISA & Mastercard) and, with your consent, can support you by automatically processing payments via the Stripe encrypted payment gateway and email you copies of the receipts at the conclusion of your session.
We also offer payment options via direct deposit or with cash by prior arrangement. Please discuss this with our reception team if you would like us to note one of these as your preferred method of payment.
All fees quoted are indicative of a 50 min standard consultation with one of our providers, which allows 10mins at the conclusion of the session for your provider to complete any treatment notes and administration associated with your appointment.
Shorter or extended appointments are billed at the applicable percentage of this standard hourly rate.
| Provider | Fee | Medicare rebate | Private rebate eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Psychologist | $255 | $96.65 | Yes, under eligible policies |
| Clinical Psychologist | $270 | $141.85 | Yes, under eligible policies |
| Provisional Psychologist | $165 | N/A | N/A |
| Counsellor & Life Coach | $165 | N/A | N/A |
| Ed/Dev Psychology Assessment | $255 p/h | N/A | Not usually. Check with your fund |
Assessments
Educational & Developmental Assessments are invoiced based on the total number of hours required to conduct the assessment and write the Psychological Report. We will provide you with a full itemised written estimate of costs at the time of booking.
Psychological Reports & Statements of Support
Requests for the completion of any written report by our providers will be billed at their standard hourly rate + GST.
Please note: All report fees must be settled in full before a copy of the completed report can be released to any relevant parties.
Do I need a referral?
Depending on your circumstances, you may not need a referral to seek support from a Mental Health Provider.
Some services offered at 4thought may be eligible for a partial rebate through Medicare, and if you wish to claim you must hold a valid referral from your GP under a Mental Health Care Plan. Only services delivered by a fully Medicare Registered Provider are eligible for these rebates. Under AHPRA guidelines, Registered Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists and Social Workers are recognised as Medicare Registered Providers.
When assessing your new client intake, 4thought will always prioritise engaging you with the most appropriate therapist based on your presenting concerns. Many clients may not necessarily need to work with a Medicare Registered Provider to get the support they need to achieve their desired therapeutic outcomes. 4thought’s fee structure mindfully ensures that the support we offer across our entire team of providers is equally financially accessible in circumstances where Medicare rebates do not apply.
We are unable to bulk bill for sessions, and there are out of pocket costs associated with all our services.
Eligible clients can be referred for up to 10 individually focussed sessions per calendar year. An initial referral is limited to a maximum of 6 sessions, and once these have been completed you will need to return to GP for review of your plan if you would like to be re-referred for the balance of the 10 sessions.
Our team are happy to automatically lodge claims with Medicare on your behalf at the time of payment.
If you have cover for Psychology Services under an eligible policy you may be able to claim a rebate for eligible services, provided you have not already made a claim through Medicare. We recommend you call your fund to confirm inclusions under your policy.
4thought Psychology does not offer onsite HICAPS claiming. Clients will need to manually submit any payment receipts to their fund to make a claim.
For clients seeking treatment with funding via a third party (TAC, Workcover etc.) please be aware we require prior written approval from the insurer before arrangements can be made to forward accounts for direct payment. It is otherwise the client’s responsibility to settle all services in line with our Payment Policy and seek reimbursement from their funding source.
Rebates offered by third party insurers may not always cover 4thought’s full fee for services. In circumstances where there is a shortfall, clients are privately billed an out-of-pocket gap to make up the difference. The gap is payable by the client on the date of service.
4thought’s fee structure mindfully ensures that the support we offer across our entire team of providers is equally financially accessible in circumstances where Medicare rebates and private health insurance do not apply
Provisional Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Counsellors, and Life Coach fees are the equivalent to the gap $165 that a client would have in seeing a registered Medicare provider the fee charge of $255.
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Cancellation & Missed Appointment Policy
Please be aware that due to exceptionally high industry wide demand for mental health services, 4thought operates with a strict 24-hour cancellation policy. Your cooperation gives us the opportunity to offer last minute vacancies to someone on our waitlist looking to secure an appointment with one of our providers.
If you fail to attend your scheduled appointment, cancel, or reschedule within 24-hours of the scheduled time without an unavoidable reason, the full session fee will be charged.
For Monday appointments, we do require notice of any appointment changes before close of business on the Friday prior.
We appreciate sometimes life gets in the way and our desire is always to support clients to get value from their reserved session time. If you do encounter a last-minute clash, are away, delayed, or unable to physically attend your scheduled session in person, we always have the flexibility to offer you the option of Telehealth. You can advise us right up until the time of your appointment if you would like to switch from a face-to-face session to Telehealth, although advance notice is preferred.