Better Access family/carer participation — registered psychologist video, ≥50 min

Video attendance for a focussed psychological strategies health service provided by an eligible psychologist to a person other than the patient (a family member or carer), as part of the patient's treatment under an MHTP. Service must last at least 50 minutes. Maximum 2 services per calendar year per patient. The session counts toward the patient's annual Better Access session allocation. Other Better Access provider types (clinical psychologist, social worker, OT) have separate family/carer items.

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

Time

At least 50 minutes

Frequency

Maximum 2 services per calendar year per patient

Referral

Required

Profession

Registered Psychologist

Requirements to bill

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

1Patient must have a current GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) prepared under items 2715/2717 (or the non-skills equivalents 2700/2701) and a current referral to the eligible psychologist.
2Provider must be a registered psychologist eligible for Better Access (this item is NOT for clinical psychologists, social workers, or OTs — they have their own family/carer items).
3Service must be by videoconference (not phone, not in-person — the in-person equivalents are 80102/80106/80112/80116).
4Service must last at least 50 minutes.
5The service must be provided to a person OTHER than the patient (a family member or carer) as part of the patient's treatment.
6Maximum of 2 services per calendar year per patient under this item — combined with any in-person registered-psychologist family/carer services for the same patient.
7Patient must consent to the session occurring and to any patient information being disclosed.
8The service is claimed against the patient's Medicare number, not the family member's, and counts toward the patient's annual Better Access individual-service allocation.

Your notes must show

Documentation tests — what clinical notes need to demonstrate to survive a PSR audit.

Patient details (the MHTP-holder) — name, DOB, Medicare number — and confirmation that the claim is against the patient's Medicare number, not the family member's.
Family member / carer details — name, relationship to patient, and contact details.
Date, start time, end time, and total video duration (≥50 min).
Modality — videoconference, with confirmation that an audio + visual link was used.
Referral details — referring GP, MHTP date, and confirmation the referral remains current.
Patient consent — whether written or verbal, when obtained, and what disclosure boundaries apply.
Therapeutic purpose — explicit linkage to one or more goals in the patient's MHTP (psychoeducation, communication, carer stress, care coordination). The session must support the patient's treatment, not function as individual therapy for the carer.
Issues discussed — patient's condition (information shared with consent), carer's concerns, impact on the family relationship.
Interventions delivered — psychoeducation, coping strategies, communication skills, carer self-care, resources/referrals.
Confidentiality — explicit record of what patient information was shared with the carer (with consent) and what was withheld.
Carer wellbeing — stress level, support needs, any recommendation for the carer to access their own mental health support (which would require their own referral).
Outcomes — changes in carer understanding, agreed action items, contribution to the patient's MHTP goals.
Session count — 1st or 2nd of the maximum 2 per calendar year, and confirmation that the service has been counted toward the patient's annual Better Access allocation.

Common audit failures

Patterns the Professional Services Review scheme and Medicare audits flag.

No documented patient consent for the session or for information sharing.
Session purpose not linked to the patient's MHTP — appears to be general family counselling or individual therapy for the carer.
More than 2 services per calendar year claimed for the same patient under 91177 (alone or combined with the in-person 80102/80106/80112/80116 equivalents).
Service claimed against the family member's Medicare number rather than the patient's.
Service not counted toward the patient's annual Better Access allocation.
No documentation of confidentiality boundaries — what was shared vs withheld.
Phone-only attendance billed as 91177 — 91177 is video only; phone has separate items.
Session under 50 minutes — does not meet the time threshold.
Wrong provider type — 91177 claimed by a clinical psychologist, social worker, or OT (they must use their own family/carer items).

Related MBS items

Level B GP consultation

Level C GP consultation

Level D GP consultation

2715

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

2717

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

80100–80115

Better Access — Registered Psychologist (individual focussed psychological strategies)

80120

Better Access — Registered Psychologist (group)

Templates that document this item

Note templates inside Grounded Scribe that produce documentation aligned to this MBS item.

Family/Carer Support Session — Video (91177)

Better Access video session with family member or carer to support patient treatment, claimed by registered psychologists under MBS 91177. ≥50 min. Max 2 per calendar year. Counts toward the patient’s annual Better Access allocation. (Other Better Access providers — clinical psychologists, social workers, OTs — bill different family/carer items, not this template.)

In-depth reading in the Library

Medicare Audit-Ready Documentation: A GP's Guide to MBS Item Number Compliance

Professional Services Review audits can result in repayment demands, exclusion from Medicare, and public referral. Your clinical notes are the primary evidence in any PSR investigation. This guide details exactly what your documentation must contain to withstand scrutiny.

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.

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.

Item 91177 on MBS Online

Keep reading