Costs

Mental health nurses are not currently eligible providers under Medicare, so even if you have a Mental Health Care Plan or an Eating Disorder Care Plan, Peta’s sessions are not rebated by Medicare or Private Health Care providers.

Peta provides specialist mental health nursing services (assessment, psychological treatment and clinical coordination) to people residing in the Northern Rivers Primary Health Network (PHN) area who have a diagnosed eating disorder as a commissioned provider to the local Primary Health Network (via a NGO called Health Voyage Ltd). This means that the costs are subsidised through the PHN funding rather than through Medicare.

Depending on your financial situation, you will be able to access treatment for no cost, there may be a small gap fee, or you may need to attend as a full fee-paying client (see the table below). In order to receive subsidised services you need to agree to your demographic details being included in the PHN’s highly secure ‘redicase’ online data collection system and that the PHN can use your de-identified data to report to government. Please note that this is minimal information – the details that are included in the system do not include consultation notes.

If you do not agree to having your demographic details included in the PHN system, you can attend as a private fee paying patient. The private fee is not rebatable through Medicare or through your Private Health Insurance company.

2023-2024 costs are as follows:

Health Care Card, significant financial disadvantage(GP to note on the care plan) e.g. full time student, unemployed, health care card. No charge to client – treatment fully subsidised
Person working part time or parent working part time (for children/teens) $60 first session
$30 per session thereafter
Person working full time or parents working full time (for children/teens) $90 first session
$50 per session thereafter
Home visits, additional cost $150 extra per session
Private sessions $180 for first session
$150 per session thereafter