Psychologists' Experiences with the Better Access Initiative: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The Australian Government's Better Access initiative was introduced in late 2006 to increase treatment rates for people with mental disorders. It provides for reimbursement of psychologists' services through Medicare. The current pilot study examines the experiences of psychologists with this initiative. A random sample of 204 of 4,235 psychologists in private practice was approached and 73 psychologists (36%) were interviewed. The current study suggests that psychologists have had positive experiences with Better Access. They have appreciated the greater security of income and greater variety of work afforded by the initiative, and they have observed flow‐on benefits in terms of increased access and reduced stigma for their clients. Additional research is required to corroborate these findings with a larger sample of psychologists, but the current findings provide indicative evidence that Better Access is assisting psychologists to meet a previously unmet community need for mental health care.

Key words:

• Better Access
• Medicare
• psychologists

Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund (now known as Australian Rotary Health). We would like to thank all of the psychologists who participated in the research.

Notes

1. Since the preparation of this paper, the Australian Federal Budget announcement of 10 May 2011 has stipulated that as of 1 July 2011 clients will be entitled to up to 10 (individual and group) sessions in a calendar year, with a review by the referring GP after the first six (individual or group) sessions.