Frequently Asked Questions

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I currently practice in the Dymocks Building found on George Street in the Sydney CBD.  It is conveniently located near train stations, bus lines and the light rail.  See the Contact Details page of this website.

No.  There are a number of private, paid car parks around the city but they can be pricey.  Public transport or a taxi / rideshare service may be more convenient.

I'm a a psychiatrist.

Both are hightly trained in mental health.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialise in the treatment of mental illness.  They can prescribe medications.

Psychologists study the science of human psychology and can undergo extensive training to specialise in the treatment of mental health.  They may be non-medical doctors but cannot prescribe medication.

Due to their different natures, they are funded by Medicare differently, even if they do the same work.

To check my availability or to make an appointment, please contact me at info@drjamiedenholm.com or through the contact form on this website.

Yes. Psychiatry is a medical specialty and requires a referral from a GP to be eligible for Medicare funding.

My rates are currently $350.00 for a 50-minute session.

No.  There will be some gap or co-payment.

If you are an Australian resident, you will get some money back. How much is a complicated question and it would be unwise to try to explain in an FAQ. So here I go.

Please remember that whilst I've tried to be accurate with the figures below, it is complicated and the details change regularly. You cannot rely on the following to be completely correct.

Medicare has a list of specified prices (Scheduled Fees) for many medical services including psychiatric appointments. For my patients, the Schedule Fees are $290.85 for the initial consult, $205.20 for the first 50 appointments in a calendar year and $102.70 for sessions after 50 in a calendar year. Doctors can charge whatever they feel is appropriate but the patient will only receive a rebate based on the Schedule Fee. This is usually 85% of the Schedule Fee, that is $247.25 (initial), $174.45 (first 50 a year) or $87.30 (subsequent). This means for my sessions you would be out-of pocket $102.75 (initial), $175.55 (first 50 a year) or $262.70 (subsequent).

However, Medicare also has two separate types of safety nets to help reduce medical costs. The Original Medicare Safety Net (OMSN) changes the Medicare rebate from 85% to 100% of the Scheduled Fee (not the amount charged) once a patient has paid a total of the OMSN threshold (currently $560.40) in Gap Costs (basically the 15% difference in the Medical schedule fee (not the actual amount paid) and the amount rebated). As an example, this would increase the rebate from $174.45 to $205.20 after approximately 19 sessions in a calendar year.

The Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) helps reduce the total amount a patient will pay over a calendar year. When the total amount of out of pocket expenses (the difference between what is actually paid to the doctor and the amount received in rebates) paid in a calendar year reaches the threshold amount ($2,544.30 or $811.80 for concession holders) Medicare will begin to pay an addition 80% of those out of pocket costs. This threshold can be reached with any medical expenses incurred by you or your family. So, as an example, without taking into account any other medical expenses incurred by them or their family, my patients would pay an out of pocket fee of $175.55 for approximately 15 sesssions before reaching the threshold, and woud then pay approximately $35.11 until they reach 50 sessions in a calender year. If you are a concession card holder or receive Family Tax Benefits this changes to $175.55 for approximately 5 sessions before changing to $35.11.

Generally I do not recommend that a patient's therapist also be their prescriber. However, as a psychiatrist I am trained to consider all treatment options suitable for a a patient.  This means I often have opinions on medication that I am generally happy to share with you, your GP or another professional.

I ask that you let me know as soon as possible if you cannot make an appointment.  If I do not receive 24 hour notice I will charge a $100.00 fee.  Please note that this fee does not benefit from a Medicare rebate.