Policy · Australia
Australia redesigns Better Access initiative, tightening referral pathways from November 2025
The Medicare-funded mental health programme's revamp links treatment plans more closely to GPs and prescribed medical practitioners.
From 1 November 2025, the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners initiative — the centrepiece of Medicare-funded outpatient mental health in Australia — is being restructured to tie mental health treatment plans, referrals, and reviews more closely to the patient's GP or prescribed medical practitioner.
The redesign follows the formal Better Access evaluation, which found that the programme had improved access overall but with serious inequities by income and geography. The changes are intended to standardise care pathways and improve continuity.
Read the MBS Online factsheet for the full list of changes taking effect November 2025.
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