Mental health help

People seeking psychological services in Wimmera, Mallee and Mildura regions will be able to claim a Medicare rebate for online videoconferencing consultations from November 1.

The Federal Government will dedicate $9-million to the service for the next four years as part of a commitment to bridge any city-country divide in health-service access.

The rebate will allow people to have consultations with medical professionals who might be hundreds of kilometres away, eliminating the inconvenience, time and expense of travel for many regional patients.

Member for Mallee Andrew Broad highlighted the hardship regional people experienced in seeking treatment in remote areas.

“The demand for these services in the Wimmera, Mallee and Mildura is great,” he said. “Some small towns in our patch don’t have a local psychologist or other health professional available. With thanks to telehealth technology regional people will be able to have an appointment with a health professional without travelling a great distance.”