Items 80020–80025
Better Access — Clinical Psychologist (group therapy)
Psychological therapy group service provided in person by an eligible clinical psychologist under Better Access, to a group of 4 to 10 patients. 80020 = in-person group ≥60 min. 80025 = video-conference group ≥120 min from a telehealth-eligible area.
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.
Requirements to bill
Conditions imposed by the descriptor that must be met to claim any item in this family.
- 1Each patient in the group must have a current referral from a referring practitioner under Better Access.
- 2Provider must be an eligible clinical psychologist registered with Medicare for Better Access.
- 3Group size must be 4 to 10 patients.
- 4For 80020: in person, at least 60 minutes face-to-face.
- 5For 80025: by video conference, at least 120 minutes; the patient must be in a telehealth-eligible area AND at least 15 km by road from the clinical psychologist at the time of service. Both conditions must be satisfied.
- 6Each session counts toward the patient's annual Better Access cap (10 individual + 10 group sessions per calendar year).
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, modality (in-person or video), and item number claimed.
- Group composition — number of patients (with anonymised identifiers in any per-member file), facilitator(s).
- Session topic / module and the focussed psychological strategy delivered.
- Per-member: attendance, level of participation, response to the session, any risk concerns flagged for follow-up.
- Group-level dynamics and any incidents.
- Reference to each member's MHTP goals and how the session content addressed them.
- For 80025: documentation that the patient was in a telehealth-eligible area AND at least 15 km by road from the clinical psychologist at the time of service.
Common audit failures
Patterns the Professional Services Review scheme and Medicare audits flag.
- Group note does not record per-member attendance.
- Session under the minimum duration for the item (60 min for 80020, 120 min for 80025).
- Per-member files contain identifying information about other group members.
- 80025 billed when the patient was not in a telehealth-eligible area, or was within 15 km by road of the clinical psychologist (both conditions must be satisfied).
- No reference to MHTP goals in either the group session note or the per-member note.
Related MBS items
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.
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Alcohol Use
Substance Use Disorders
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Opioid Use
Substance Use Disorders
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Cannabinoid Use
Substance Use Disorders
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Sedatives or Hypnotics
Substance Use Disorders
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Cocaine Use
Substance Use Disorders
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Other Stimulants Including Caffeine
Substance Use Disorders
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Hallucinogens
Substance Use Disorders
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Due to Multiple Drug Use
Substance Use Disorders
Schizophrenia
Psychotic Disorders
Schizotypal Disorder
Psychotic Disorders
Persistent Delusional Disorders
Psychotic Disorders
Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorders
Psychotic Disorders
Induced Delusional Disorder
Psychotic Disorders
Schizoaffective Disorders
Psychotic Disorders
Other Nonorganic Psychotic Disorders
Psychotic Disorders
Unspecified Nonorganic Psychosis
Psychotic Disorders
Manic Episode
Mood Disorders
Bipolar Affective Disorder
Mood Disorders
Depressive Episode
Mood Disorders
Recurrent Depressive Disorder
Mood Disorders
Persistent Mood Disorders
Mood Disorders
Other Recurrent Mood Disorders — Unipolar Mania
Mood Disorders
Other Mood (Affective) Disorders
Mood Disorders
Unspecified Mood Disorder
Mood Disorders
Phobic Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Other Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Anxiety Disorders
Reaction to Severe Stress and Adjustment Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Dissociative (Conversion) Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Somatoform Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Other Neurotic Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Nonorganic Sleep Disorders
Behavioural Syndromes
Sexual Dysfunction Not Caused by Organic Disorder or Disease
Behavioural Syndromes
Mental and Behavioural Disorders Associated with the Puerperium
Behavioural Syndromes
Psychological and Behavioural Factors Associated with Disorders or Diseases Classified Elsewhere
Behavioural Syndromes
Abuse of Non-Dependence-Producing Substances
Behavioural Syndromes
Specific Personality Disorders
Personality Disorders
Mixed and Other Personality Disorders
Personality Disorders
Enduring Personality Changes Not Attributable to Brain Damage and Disease
Personality Disorders
Habit and Impulse Disorders
Personality Disorders
Gender Identity Disorders
Personality Disorders
Disorders of Sexual Preference
Personality Disorders
Psychological and Behavioural Disorders Associated with Sexual Development and Orientation
Personality Disorders
Other Disorders of Adult Personality and Behaviour
Personality Disorders
Specific Developmental Disorders of Speech and Language
Developmental Disorders
Specific Developmental Disorders of Scholastic Skills
Developmental Disorders
Specific Developmental Disorder of Motor Function
Developmental Disorders
Mixed Specific Developmental Disorders
Developmental Disorders
Other Disorders of Psychological Development
Developmental Disorders
Unspecified Disorder of Psychological Development
Developmental Disorders
Hyperkinetic Disorders / ADHD
Childhood & Adolescent Disorders
Conduct Disorders
Childhood & Adolescent Disorders
Mixed Disorders of Conduct and Emotions
Childhood & Adolescent Disorders
Emotional Disorders with Onset Specific to Childhood
Childhood & Adolescent Disorders
Disorders of Social Functioning with Onset in Childhood
Childhood & Adolescent Disorders
Tic Disorders
Childhood & Adolescent Disorders
Other Behavioural and Emotional Disorders with Onset in Childhood
Childhood & Adolescent Disorders
Templates that document these items
Note templates inside Grounded Scribe that produce documentation aligned to these MBS items.
In-depth reading in the Library
Writing Better Access Progress Reports in Half the Time
Every psychologist under the Better Access initiative must send a progress report to the referring GP after 6 sessions. This guide provides a step-by-step workflow for writing efficient, compliant reports that satisfy Medicare requirements without consuming your entire evening.
Group Therapy Documentation: A Mental Health Practitioner Guide
Group therapy notes need to capture the group as a whole, each member's participation, and any incidents or risk concerns — without breaching members' privacy across each other's files. This guide details the dual-record structure.
Source authority
Documentation tests on this page reference the descriptor conditions and PSR-audit patterns covered in our existing Library guides. Always confirm current rules against the official descriptor.
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