Better AccessClinical Psychologist (eligible under the Better Access initiative)4 variants

Items 80000–80015

Better Access — Clinical Psychologist (individual psychological therapy)

Psychological therapy health service provided to a patient individually and in person by an eligible clinical psychologist under Better Access. Item billed depends on duration (≥30 min and <50 min, or ≥50 min) and service location (consulting rooms, or other).

Plain-English summary. See MBS Online for the verbatim descriptor of each item.

Which item should I bill?

All variants share the same documentation requirements (below). The item number you bill is determined by the actual face-to-face duration and the location.

Item	Time	Location	Typical use	MBS Online
80000	≥30 min and <50 min	Consulting rooms	Standard therapy session	Open
80005	≥30 min and <50 min	Other location	Home / hospital / school visit	Open
80010	≥50 min	Consulting rooms	Initial assessment / extended therapy	Open
80015	≥50 min	Other location	Initial assessment / extended therapy — home / hospital	Open

Requirements to bill

Conditions imposed by the descriptor that must be met to claim any item in this family.

1Current referral from a referring practitioner — typically a GP under a Mental Health Treatment Plan, or a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
2Provider must be on the Medicare register as an eligible clinical psychologist for Better Access items.
3Service must be provided to the patient individually and in person (or by an approved telehealth equivalent item).
4At the completion of a course of treatment, the referring practitioner must review the need for further treatment.
5On completion of the course of treatment, the clinical psychologist must give a written report to the referring practitioner on assessments, treatment provided and recommendations.
6Up to 10 individual Better Access sessions per patient per calendar year (with a referrer review after the initial 6).
7Item claimed must correspond to the actual face-to-face duration of the clinical service.

Your notes must show

Documentation tests — what clinical notes need to demonstrate to survive a PSR audit, regardless of which variant you bill.

Date, start time, end time, location, and item number claimed.
Referral details — referring practitioner, MHTP date, sessions attended in series, sessions remaining.
Presenting issue and link to the MHTP diagnosis / formulation.
Treatment modality and the psychological intervention applied this session (e.g. CBT, ACT, IPT, schema therapy).
Mental state and clinical content of the session.
Risk assessment where clinically indicated, and the action taken.
Explicit reference to MHTP goals and progress (or lack of progress) toward them.
For initial assessments (≥50 min): full history, formulation, treatment plan aligned with MHTP.
At end-of-course: confirmation a written report has been provided to the referring practitioner.

Common audit failures

Patterns the Professional Services Review scheme and Medicare audits flag.

Session duration not documented — item time threshold cannot be substantiated.
Item claimed does not match the actual face-to-face duration (e.g. 80010 billed for a 45-minute session).
Notes describe a therapeutic conversation but never reference the MHTP goals.
Missing or expired referral on file.
Sessions billed beyond the calendar-year cap, or after session 6 without referrer review.
No end-of-course written report to the referring practitioner.
Travel, documentation, or telephone follow-up time included in the face-to-face duration.
Identical clinical-content templates used across multiple patients — not individualised.

Related MBS items

2715

GP Mental Health Treatment Plan — preparation (20 to less than 40 minutes)

2717

GP Mental Health Treatment Plan — preparation (at least 40 minutes)

80020–80025

Better Access — Clinical Psychologist (group therapy)

80100–80115

Better Access — Registered Psychologist (individual focussed psychological strategies)

80150–80165

Better Access — Mental Health Social Worker (individual focussed psychological strategies)

80125–80140

Better Access — Mental Health Occupational Therapist (individual focussed psychological strategies)

Diagnostic codes commonly billed under these items

ICD-10-AM diagnoses whose Medicare pathway includes this family of items. Click through to the diagnostic-code reference for differential codes and clinical context.

F10

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Alcohol Use

Substance Use Disorders

F11

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Opioid Use

Substance Use Disorders

F12

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Cannabinoid Use

Substance Use Disorders

F13

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Sedatives or Hypnotics

Substance Use Disorders

F14

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Cocaine Use

Substance Use Disorders

F15

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Other Stimulants Including Caffeine

Substance Use Disorders

F16

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Hallucinogens

Substance Use Disorders

F19

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Multiple Drug Use

Substance Use Disorders

F20

Schizophrenia

Psychotic Disorders

F21

Schizotypal Disorder

Psychotic Disorders

F22

Persistent Delusional Disorders

Psychotic Disorders

F23

Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorders

Psychotic Disorders

F24

Induced Delusional Disorder

Psychotic Disorders

F25

Schizoaffective Disorders

Psychotic Disorders

F28

Other Nonorganic Psychotic Disorders

Psychotic Disorders

F29

Unspecified Nonorganic Psychosis

Psychotic Disorders

F30

Manic Episode

Mood Disorders

F31

Bipolar Affective Disorder

Mood Disorders

F32

Depressive Episode

Mood Disorders

F33

Recurrent Depressive Disorder

Mood Disorders

F34

Persistent Mood Disorders

Mood Disorders

F35

Other Recurrent Mood Disorders — Unipolar Mania

Mood Disorders

F38

Other Mood (Affective) Disorders

Mood Disorders

F39

Unspecified Mood Disorder

Mood Disorders

F40

Phobic Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

F41

Other Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

F42

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Anxiety Disorders

F43

Reaction to Severe Stress and Adjustment Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

F44

Dissociative (Conversion) Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

F45

Somatoform Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

F48

Other Neurotic Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

F51

Nonorganic Sleep Disorders

Behavioural Syndromes

F52

Sexual Dysfunction Not Caused by Organic Disorder or Disease

Behavioural Syndromes

F53

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Associated with the Puerperium

Behavioural Syndromes

F54

Psychological and Behavioural Factors Associated with Disorders or Diseases Classified Elsewhere

Behavioural Syndromes

F55

Abuse of Non-Dependence-Producing Substances

Behavioural Syndromes

F60

Specific Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders

F61

Mixed and Other Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders

F62

Enduring Personality Changes Not Attributable to Brain Damage and Disease

Personality Disorders

F63

Habit and Impulse Disorders

Personality Disorders

F64

Gender Identity Disorders

Personality Disorders

F65

Disorders of Sexual Preference

Personality Disorders

F66

Psychological and Behavioural Disorders Associated with Sexual Development and Orientation

Personality Disorders

F68

Other Disorders of Adult Personality and Behaviour

Personality Disorders

F80

Specific Developmental Disorders of Speech and Language

Developmental Disorders

F81

Specific Developmental Disorders of Scholastic Skills

Developmental Disorders

F82

Specific Developmental Disorder of Motor Function

Developmental Disorders

F83

Mixed Specific Developmental Disorders

Developmental Disorders

F88

Other Disorders of Psychological Development

Developmental Disorders

F89

Unspecified Disorder of Psychological Development

Developmental Disorders

F90

Hyperkinetic Disorders / ADHD