AAPi President Sahra O'Doherty spoke at length with radio 6PR about AAPi's calls to scrap the two-tier system and raise the rebate to $150 per session, in response to the proposed mental health plan by the Greens, which calls for these and other measures.
"What we're calling for...is to have one rebate for all psychologists, so that every patient of every psychologist gets the same rebate. And we want to make sure that rebate is raised to $150 per session for everybody, so that it becomes so much more accessible and affordable," she said.
"We are just so thankful that any political party - that the Greens, in this case, have actually wanted to take on board these recommendations. So this is absolutely amazing, potentially for the future of all Australians accessing mental health care."
In response to a question around the cost of living crisis having an impact on access to mental health care, Sahra said:
"I have so many of my clients telling me that it's either I get a full grocery shop or I have to, you know, go and see my therapist. And unfortunately, we're not wanting people to choose. And unfortunately, people are having to choose. And this is something that we do not think is appropriate for a country like Australia. You shouldn't have to choose between paying your rent or paying for your groceries, and seeking universal mental health care as part of a Medicare system. "
Listen to the full interview here.
Licensed by Copyright Agency. You must not copy this work without permission.