Subsidised visits to mental health services will be halved within weeks, with the new federal government abandoning a program added at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Minister Mark Butler said patients would only be able to claim Medicare rebates for 10 visits to a psychologist or allied mental health service next year, down from the 20 visits that people have been able to access in recent years.
In August 2020, the number of sessions available through the Better Access program was temporarily increased from 10 to 20.
Mr Butler said while the Better Access program had offered benefits for people using it, not everyone had been able to access it equally.
"The evaluation I am publishing today considered the impact of those additional 10 sessions and found they drove a very big increase in the number of services in this sector generally," Mr Butler said.
"But it found that those additional 10 aggravated existing wait lists and aggravated barriers to access, particularly by (people in rural and low socio-economic areas).
"The evaluation found that all of the additional services went to existing patients and that the number of new patients who were able to get into the system and get access to psychology services actually declined by 7 per cent."
But the review of Better Access did not recommend the extra 10 be abandoned.
Instead, it recommended patients undergo a review after 10 sessions, instead of the review that currently happens after six visits.
"The additional 10 sessions should continue to be made available and should be targeted towards those with complex mental health needs," the review states.
"If the additional 10 sessions are retained, the review could occur after the initial 10 sessions.
"However, alternative review cadences might be recommended based on consumers’ levels of need. Recommended reviews might also be complemented by reviews done at the discretion of the GP, allied health professional and consumer, as a means of collaborating and in line with best practice."
The ABC has contacted Mr Butler's office about this recommendation.
At his earlier press conference, the health minister said he would meet with people in the industry next year to ensure there was "equity" in the system.
Government facing criticism
The Coalition has criticised the move, arguing serious mental health issues are often at their highest two or three years after a major incident.
"As the Australian community continues to deal with the massive impact of the pandemic, natural disasters and the compounding pressures of the cost of living, it is staggering that the Albanese Government believes now is the right time to rip away vital mental health support," Coalition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said.
Suicide Prevention Australia chief executive Nieves Murray said she feared the changes would prevent people seeking help.
"The decision to remove extra mental health supports at a time when interest rates are rising, housing pressure is growing and distress is high is baffling and very concerning," she said.
"While we support any changes to improve the Better Access program it makes no sense to turn off additional supports before those changes are developed."
Just last week, the Australian Psychological Society (APS) again called for the additional visits to become permanent.
"The APS position is that these sessions should be a permanent feature of the Better Access program," it said in a statement.
"We maintain this position and will continue to advocate for it."
