Claim Mental Health Treatment with HCF in 2024

If you're insured with HCF, you might wonder "how do I claim mental health services from HCF". At Talked, we aim to connect you with the ideal HCF therapists to ensure you fully utilize your HCF benefits. Submitting claims for mental health services with HCF is straightforward.

In this article, we guide you on how to claim counselling or therapy rebates. Our goal is to ensure you make the most of your HCF cover and secure your mental health claims promptly.

Table of contents

• Who should I see?

• Does HCF cover mental health?

• Which HCF policies covers psychology and counselling?

• How much does HCF psychology cover?

• How to claim mental health rebates from HCF?

• Does HCF cover online therapy?

• When does an HCF claim need to be made?

• Can I claim from both HCF and Medicare?

• Where can I find HCF approved therapists?

• How to easily claim HCF mental health rebates with Talked

Who should I see?

The mental health field boasts a variety of professionals. Knowing who is the right one to choose let alone who is covered by HCF is confusing. If you're uncertain about the differences among these therapist types, our blog post on the topic may help.

In choosing a therapist, it's necessary to select one recognized by HCF. HCF recognises psychologists, accredited social workers, and HCF approved counsellors, all of whom specialise in different areas. To simplify the process, we've curated a list of available HCF approved therapists for you to consider.

Please note that before claiming psychology sessions with HCF, you should check whether they are covered under your extras cover. You can confirm this by logging into your HCF account.

Does HCF cover mental health?

To process a claim for your therapy session under HCF, the therapist must be HCF approved and align with HCF's stringent criteria. HCF emphasises that its extras cover for mental health sessions can only be claimed when seeing an AHPRA regulated psychologist, a mental health accredited approved social worker or a HCF-recognised counsellor.

If the therapist isn't recognised by HCF, you won't be eligible for a reimbursement, regardless of your level of coverage. We've streamlined the process for you to connect with HCF-approved counsellors, social workers and pscyhologists. Booking a session with them ensures you can claim the session's cost.

Beyond selecting an accredited therapist, it's vital to verify that your HCF policy encompasses mental health services. HCF's cover contributes towards the expenses of psychology and counselling. We have included a link to sign in to your HCF account. This way you can confirm your level of cover. Please note that if you have just obtained HCF mental health coverage, you may be subject to wait times.

Check my HCF cover

Which HCF policies cover psychology and counselling?

If you are still unsure whether your HCF health insurance policy covers psychology or counselling, do not stress as we can help. HCF states in their article "Cover for Mental Health Services" that HCF knows how important it is for their members to have to access mental health support when and where they need it.

As of the date of this article, of the 11 extras cover options* available at HCF, only 7 cover psychology and counselling. These extras policies are:

• Vital Extras

• Top Extras

• My Future 750 Basic Plus Extras

• My Future 500 Basic Plus Extras

• My Future 250 Basic Plus Extras

• My Family Silver Plus Extras

• My Family Advanced Silver Plus Extras

Unfortunately, if you have any of the following covers, you are not eligible for a psychology or counselling rebate with HCF:

• Starter Extras

• Starter Extras (with Optical)

• Flex My Extras

• Mid Extras

When looking for ahm extras cover for psychology rebates, it's essential to check that the policy details include "mental health services." If your HCF policy supports mental health services rebates, it's equally important to understand the amount covered under the annual limit.

You can read more about HCF's extras policies and what they cover by looking through their extras page. Note that HCF does not make it easy to compare extras. Therefore if you want to compare the covers yourself, you will need to go through the quotation process to find the extras covers.

*Note that the HCF extras discussed in this article do not include the Corporate HCF Extras that are available to corporates. If you have corporate HCF extras cover, please check your HCF policy.

How much is the HCFpsychology claim?

The amount you can claim back through your HCF extras cover depends on the specifics of your policy. We strongly recommend reviewing the full disclosure PDF of your cover to understand your policy in detail by logging into your HCF account.

When choosing your HCF extras cover, we recommend you look at the following:

Waiting Period – Most health insurers' extras policies typically include a waiting period before you can access their benefits. This is a specified duration during which you are not eligible for benefits from HCF for any treatments received under their extras policies. HCF has a 2 month waiting period before members can claim psychology or counselling rebates. If you're considering joining HCF to access mental health rebates, please note that they occasionally waive these Waiting Periods.

Indicative Benefit Amount – The Indicative Benefit Amount is the amount that is payable by HCF for each of the mental health sessions completed by their members. Under HCF's policies that state that members may be entitled to 2 levels of benefits. To receive the higher benefit for psychology treatment in a calendar year, a member must have:

• a Medicare Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) and have used up the plan in that calendar year (learn more about MHTP's here)

• have a medical practitioner or a psychologist certify that further psychology treatment is needed and on going

• receive further psychology treatment from a psychologist who is a recognised provider and treating the member as a private patient

Limit Per Person – The Limit Per Person is the maximum amount that an individual can claim under their HCF extras policy. This amount varies depending on the plan and the length of time you have been on that plan. For example:

• under the Vital Extras cover, the limit per person is $350 for the first year, increasing up to $550 after 3 years

• under the Top Extras cover, the limit per person is $600 for the first year, increasing up to $900 after 3 years

• under the My Future 750 Basic Plus Extras cover, the limit per person is $600

• under the My Future 500 Basic Plus Extras cover, the limit per person is $750

• under the My Future 250 Basic Plus Extras cover, the limit per person is $900

• under the My Family Silver Plus Extras cover, the limit per person is $800

• under the My Family Advanced Silver Plus Extras cover, the limit per person is $1,200

The table below provides the relevant information on the extras policy amounts under HCF's current plans. This information is up to date as of the time of this guide.

Note that HCF also covers group therapy. However, this is not discussed in this guide. If you are interested in group therapy and would like to claim your HCF rebate, please check your HCF policy.

How to claim mental health rebates from HCF?

You will need to pay upfront when you see your HCF approved therapist. After your session, Talked will provide you with an invoice that you can use to submit a claim to HCF.

If you book a psychologist or counsellor through the Talked platform, you can simply log in to your account and download the invoice. The invoice will be automatically populated with the exact information HCF requires for a claim to be submitted.

There are 4 ways HCF members can make their psychology or counselling claim after speaking with a Talked therapist.

1. Use the HCF My Membership mobile app

To make a claim through HCF mobile app, you will need to follow the following steps:

1. Log in to the HCF mobile app and navigate to the 'Claims' tab. Ensure you have your receipt ready.

2. Select 'Start claim'. Note that you may need to re-authenticate using your password or Touch ID/Face ID.

3. If your policy covers multiple people, select the person who received the service.

4. Enter the service details, including the provider name or number, claim information, date of service, item number, and the amount paid.

All this information will be found on your Talked invoice.

Download the HCFmobile app for iPhone or Android.

2. Online

If you do not have the mobile app, you can log into HCF's member services. The steps to submit the claim are:

1. Log in to your HCF account and navigate to 'Make a claim'. Ensure you have your receipt ready.

2. Select the service you want to claim from the list and click 'Start claim'.

3. Enter the provider name or number, the person who received the service, the date of the service, the item number, and the amount paid.

3. In a branch

Visit your local HCF branch with your membership card or your membership details handy and original receipts. From there, the HCF staff will help handle the rest for you.

4. Post

If you would prefer to post your claim, you can send your completed claim form and original receipts to HCF, GPO Box 4242, Sydney NSW 2001.

We’d also like to note that if you’re not seeing a psychologist through Talked and are visiting your psychologist in person, you may be able to swipe your membership card at the psychologist’s HICAPS machine. You won’t need to pay the full amount, only the difference between the psychologist’s fee and your HCF coverage.

Does HCF cover online therapy?

Telehealth or online therapy offers a convenient avenue for many people who are seeking mental health support. HCF understands that for many of its members, digital therapy is a valuable resource, especially for those previously unable to access such services.

It's essential to determine which mental health services are included in your extras coverage. This information can be accessed within your HCF account.

When does an HCF claim need to be made?

To ensure you receive your psychology or counselling rebate from HCF, it’s best to submit your claim as soon as your session is complete. However, if you’re unable to do so right away, HCF allows claims to be lodged within two years of the date of your session. Keep in mind that this policy might change, so it’s a good idea to check for any updates.

Similarly, Medicare permits claims for rebates to be lodged within two years of the service date. Unlike HCF, Talked can directly process and submit Medicare rebates on your behalf. Visit our Medicare page for more information.

Can I claim from both HCF and Medicare?

You cannot claim the full cost from both Medicare and HCF; no HCF policy permits double claims. HCF has explicitly stated that you must not be eligible for Medicare benefits for the psychology treatment to be able to claim HCF cover. If you consult a psychologist, you must decide whether to primarily claim through Medicare or HCF.

If you qualify for Medicare, your psychologist might still impose a gap fee. After maximizing your Medicare rebates, you can then utilize your HCF private health insurance for subsequent sessions, depending on your coverage level.

Should you prefer to use the Medicare rebate for a psychologist visit, it's essential to discuss this with your GP and secure an MHTP and a referral. While the process might seem intricate, we've simplified it in our guide to scheduling your Medicare consultation and if you don't have a regular GP, you can book in a MHTP session with our bulk billed GP partner.

Where can I find HCF approved therapists?

We've streamlined the process for you to locate and engage with an HCF-approved therapist online. Browse through our list of HCF psychologists, schedule a session, and start your session in under 24 hours. HCF therapists on Talked provide video therapy, face-to-face sessions, or text consultations.

How to easily claim HCF mental health rebates with Talked

We hope that you maximize your HCF benefits and claim your mental health benefits today. Mental health is important and together with HCF, we are here to help you.

Talked makes claiming HCF psychology rebates from an HCF-approved psychologist effortless. After your session, you’ll receive an invoice containing all the required details to submit your rebate.

Not with HCF? All good, we can help. After you see your therapist, you can claim your mental health rebate from Bupa, Medibank, ahm, Police Health, CUA Health, Doctors Health, nib, HBF, Australian Unity, CBHS Health, GMHBA, Peoplecare, Westfund and many more private health insurers.