The question was submitted
25/06/2008
Subject: Mental Health Plan
I live in country Vic and have been on meds for 12 months. I wanted to know if u could explain to me how a mental health plan works and whether i should be on one.
At the moment i'm on 375mg effexor and seeing a psychiatrist every 4-6 weeks, i pay full price on everything and claim back what i can of the psychiatrist money from medicare.
Gyps suggested to me that maybe i should be on a mental health plan, asked my gp about it but was told i would'nt bennefit from it and it would be a waste of an hour of his and my time to fill out the forms.
Gyps suggested i ask you what i should do, should i push to be on a mental health plan or just forget about it all together.
Thank you for your time in reading this, i look forward to your response.
Answer from DepNet
Thank you for your enquiry. We are sorry of a slight delay while checking up on some of the details of the sort of program you referred to.
The mental health plan program is one which is determined by your general practitioner. It usually involves at least one other mental health professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker. Occasionally, it might also involve a community mental health facility. Your doctor works out an appropriate mental health plan for you, sees that it gets implemented, monitors its progress, and can recommend changes in the program, or further opinions and consultations if these prove necessary.
Sometimes, managing things in the context of a mental health plan will be sufficient. At other times, you really do benefit from the specialist knowledge and expertise of a consultant psychiatrist. This can be not only in the context of the initial diagnosis, but also to review the diagnosis as time passes, institute treatment, monitor the process of treatment, and see that there is a good outcome. Your psychiatrist can also involve others in your treatment such as psychologists, or suggest assistance in local psychosocial rehabilitation (getting your life back on track) if that is necessary.
Seeing any health professional in the private system is likely to involve "gaps". There are a number of general practitioners who will offer a "bulk bill" service. Unfortunately, since its operation, the increase in the rebate to patients from Medicare has not kept pace with inflation so is now only about 50% of the level it would be at if it had been fully indexed from inception. As time passes, fewer and fewer doctors can charge the bulk bill rate, and more need a gap to be paid. If, instead of being ill and substantially disabled, you are well and able to work, the benefits from being in good health and able to be productively engaged in the community are likely to well outweigh the costs of intermittent psychiatric consultations.
Because the resources available for mental health plans differ from doctor to doctor and from region to region, you should go and speak with your general practitioner to discuss the specifics of what would be available for you, if you were to follow such a plan. You can then decide whether you wish to engage in the mental health plan with your general practitioner, or on balance are better off staying with your current treating psychiatrist. It is important to add that if you have had a major depressive illness, it is generally desirable that if you have responded to treatment, that you remain on treatment for a minimum of 12 months after recovery. There may be other factors that would lead your psychiatrist to suggest you might even need treatment for longer periods like two to five years. That is also something you need to consider. Staying on treatment usually decreases the chance of relapse.
All the best with your further enquiries, and hoping you are able to get well and stay well.
The answer was published on DepNet
02/07/2008