Budget review: Government slashing access to Medicare-funded psychology sessions

[Tam-I-Am]

Some of you might be aware that in the recent budget, it was announced that the Medicare Better Access to Mental Health funding is being slashed by nearly half. That is to say that as it stands at the moment, people can access 6 - 12 sessions in a 12 month period, and an extra 6 sessions (totally 18) under exceptional circumstances.

The government have taken it upon themselves to slash that access back to 6 sessions, total, with a further 4 (totally 10) under exceptional circumstances.

Most Australians who require treatment by a mental health professional require more treatment sessions than the capped number of 18 that are currently on offer - let alone a measly 10. This contravenes all that we know about appropriate access to mental health services. In short, this is the biggest step backwards that this country has seen in Mental Health Services for 30 years, and Australia's mental health services were not that good to start off with.

So what can you do?

1. Sign our petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/...hologists.html

2. VOTE at our GetUp campaign idea (comments are okay too, but you must VOTE for it to make a difference - 3 votes are better than 1): http://suggest.getup.org.au/forums/6...-psychologists

3. Send an email or write a letter to the Federal Minister for Mental Health (see the link for some easy options to do that): http://psyber.net.au/index.php/media...l-the-minister

4. Join the Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=...09575192408227

Please help. People need these sessions!

[bumMum]

Ill sign. And write a letter. This will directly impact my family and I suspect will impact at least one person everyone knows

[Tam-I-Am]

Thanks for your support, BumMum!

[OurLittleBlessing]

I've signed the petition.

I don't think this move will save them any money. Quite the opposite actually.

[TripleTime]

Count me in, I'll sign anything you want me to.

How the **** is a tiny amount of 6, maybe 10 visits going to help me manage my health? It's not going. I'm better off going shopping & spending $200 at a go.

[Tam-I-Am]

I agree

Just so everyone knows, it only takes 2 seconds to sign up for GetUp! You can do it for just one single campaign, you can elect not to get emails from them in the future etc. Voting for our campaign (which is currently 12th) will mean that we get support from get up, who have a membership of over 500,000 people who are willing to support campaigns like this, could mean the difference between the changes going through, or the Australian people stopping them. Please, if you've got 2 minutes, consider joining up and voting for the GetUp! campaign, too.

Thanks everyone who's voted so far

[missie_mack]

I clicked on the facebook link and got

What should I do with my hair, peeps? I am struggling with having the same haircut as my 10yo son (who, granted, has an unusual haircut for a 10yo boy)... Thoughts?

You might want to update the link.
I've signed the others

[Tam-I-Am]

I clicked on the facebook link and got


You might want to update the link.
I've signed the others

Ahh,

All fixed now

[MsMummy]

The mental health system is a bloody joke in Australia.

Will sign and forward onto my partner, who is a psychologist. he works in job network and can only get government funding for about 6 treatments per client, which he says isn't enough.

[OurLittleBlessing]

Good idea. I'll forward the link to my DH who works in an office of 700. Maybe we can get a few more signatures heheh.