The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has warmly welcomed the Government’s announcement that people living in rural and remote Australia will be able to claim a Medicare rebate for online videoconferencing consultations with psychologists.

APS President Anthony Cichell said that this will provide greater equity of access to evidence-based psychological care for Australians living in remote areas. He also said that enabling psychology services to be delivered by telehealth – such as online videoconferencing, will bolster the existing psychology workforce in rural and remote Australia.

“It will substantially assist the current workforce to meet the needs of people living outside urban regions, and attracts more psychologists to work in regional Australia,” he says.

According to APS Executive Director Professor Lyn Littlefield OAM, the proposed changes are consistent with the APS 2017–18 pre-budget submission to Government, which called for the expansion of Better Access to include delivery of psychological services by telehealth to people in rural and remote Australia.

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