Does CTP cover psychology sessions? A quick answer by situation
Short answer: usually yes, for treatment linked to a NSW motor accident. Here is how that works depending on where you are in the process, and how CTP is different from your Medicare sessions.
Short answer: if you were injured, including psychologically, in a motor accident in NSW, CTP (green slip) insurance usually covers psychology sessions connected to that accident, as part of the treatment and care benefits every claimant is entitled to. It does not matter whether you were the driver, a passenger, a cyclist, or a pedestrian. The table below breaks down what to focus on depending on exactly where you are in the process.
Which situation are you in?
| Your situation | Does CTP cover it? | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Accident just happened, no claim lodged yet | Not yet, because there is no claim. Early treatment can still be approved before a full claim is lodged. | See the claim timeline guide |
| Claim lodged, first 52 weeks since the accident | Generally yes, and usually regardless of who was at fault. | Read how CTP covers psychology |
| More than 52 weeks since the accident | Depends on whether your injury is classed threshold or non-threshold, and on fault. | Read the threshold injury explainer |
| Already used your Medicare (Better Access) sessions this year | CTP is separate from Medicare, so approved CTP sessions do not draw down your Medicare cap. | See the Medicare comparison below |
| Insurer has not responded, or declined a request | Not automatic. You can ask for an internal review of the decision. | Read the disputed claim guide |
| Worried about the cost of sessions | Approved sessions are usually billed direct to the insurer, so out-of-pocket cost is typically nil. | See the full cost guide |
CTP is not the same cap as your Medicare sessions
People sometimes worry that seeing a psychologist through CTP will eat into their Medicare mental health sessions, or the other way around. It does not. Medicare's Better Access initiative caps individually funded psychological therapy at 10 individual sessions per calendar year (plus a separate cap of 10 group therapy sessions), and that limit sits under a Mental Health Treatment Plan from a GP. CTP treatment and care is a different funding pathway entirely, run by the motor accident insurer rather than Medicare, so sessions approved and paid for under a CTP claim are not counted against that Medicare cap. If your psychologist bills a session to Medicare instead of the CTP insurer by mistake, ask them to correct it, since only one funding source should be billed per session.
What decides whether cover continues after the first year
For the first 52 weeks, CTP treatment and care benefits are generally available regardless of fault, which covers the period when psychological support after a crash often matters most. After that, continuing cover depends on how your injury is classified. Under the NSW CTP scheme, a threshold injury includes a psychological or psychiatric injury that is not a recognised psychiatric illness, for example an adjustment reaction or acute stress that resolves with treatment. A non-threshold injury, such as a diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder or major depressive disorder, can generally attract longer entitlement. This classification is a clinical and legal judgement made by your treating practitioners and the insurer, not something you have to work out yourself, but knowing the terminology helps when reading letters from the insurer.
How quickly the insurer has to respond
Claims for benefits are not left open-ended. For a CTP benefits claim, the insurer must make a decision within 4 weeks for weekly income payments in the first 52 weeks after the accident, and within 3 months for the period after 52 weeks. Treatment requests for individual psychology sessions are generally handled faster than that in practice, but if a request feels stuck, it is reasonable to follow up in writing and, if needed, ask for an internal review.
This is a directory, not the insurer
Motor Accident Psychology NSW is an independent information resource and directory, not SIRA, not an insurer, and not a legal service. It does not make funding decisions. What it does is explain the CTP scheme in plain language and help you find a SIRA-experienced psychologist across NSW, including through telehealth options statewide. Always confirm CTP billing arrangements directly with the psychologist and your insurer before your first session.
This guide is general information, not legal, medical, or crisis advice. If you are struggling right now, you do not have to wait: Lifeline is on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue is on 1300 22 4636, 13YARN (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) is on 13 92 76, and in an emergency call 000.
Sources
Medicare Benefits Schedule, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care: item 80010, Better Access initiative session caps (https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=80010); greenslips.com.au CTP claims guide: "Entitlements" (https://www.greenslips.com.au/claims-guide/entitlements.html), on threshold injury definitions and treatment and care benefit periods, and "Making a claim" (https://www.greenslips.com.au/claims-guide/making-a-claim.html), on insurer decision timeframes, both summarising the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 (NSW) scheme rules. SIRA.nsw.gov.au is the primary NSW regulator for this scheme; its published guidance covers the same rules but its site blocked automated verification at the time of writing, so this guide cites the independent explainer pages above, cross-checked against the figures already verified in the site's other CTP guides. Figures and rules can change, so confirm the current position with SIRA, your insurer, or a solicitor.