How much does CTP-funded psychology actually cost?
There is no SIRA-set price list for CTP psychology, unlike workers compensation. Here is what that means for your out-of-pocket cost, plus what Medicare costs if you use it as an interim option.
"Will this cost me money?" is usually the first practical question after "will I be covered at all?". The honest answer for NSW CTP psychology is a little different from workers compensation, so it is worth explaining clearly rather than quoting a number that does not really apply to your situation.
There is no SIRA-set fee for CTP psychology
For NSW workers compensation, SIRA gazettes (publishes) a maximum fee schedule for psychologists, so anyone can look up the exact rate. For the motor accident (CTP) scheme, SIRA does not do this for allied health practitioners, including psychologists, social workers and counsellors. Instead, the psychologist and the CTP insurer agree the rate directly, before treatment starts, on a case-by-case basis. The one exception is a small SIRA-set fee for the initial paperwork (the Allied Health Treatment Request) that the psychologist submits to the insurer, which is a cost to the practitioner's admin, not something billed to you.
In practice, this means there is no single published dollar figure this directory can quote you as "the cost of a CTP psychology session", and any site that states one as if it were official is not describing the CTP scheme accurately.
What it means for your out-of-pocket cost
For treatment the insurer has approved as reasonable and necessary, the insurer typically pays the psychologist directly, so your out-of-pocket cost for those approved sessions is usually nil. This is the same point made in our FAQ, and it holds regardless of what rate the psychologist and insurer have agreed between themselves, because that negotiation happens behind the scenes, not at your expense.
The insurer has 10 working days to give a written response once a treatment request is submitted. If a request is declined or only partly approved, the insurer must give reasons, and you can ask for an internal review (see the guide on disputed treatment requests). Before your first session, it is worth asking the psychologist directly: has approval come through, and will you be billed for anything the insurer does not cover.
Early on, and if liability is denied
In the early period after your accident, some early intervention (a GP visit and up to two treatment sessions) can be approved at the insurer's discretion, even before your claim is fully accepted, so you are not necessarily waiting on paperwork to get started. Access to this is at the insurer's discretion, so confirm it with them rather than assuming it applies automatically.
If the insurer denies liability for your claim altogether, you become personally responsible for the treatment costs from that point, though you may then be able to claim some or all of it back through Medicare, private health insurance, or a personal accident policy if you hold one. This is a genuinely different situation from a routine approved session, which is why confirming approval status matters.
If you use Medicare as an interim option
While a claim is being sorted out, some people see a psychologist via a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan and claim the Medicare rebate in the meantime, rather than waiting. This is a completely separate pathway from CTP funding, with its own rebate amounts set by the Commonwealth, not by SIRA or your CTP insurer. If your psychologist charges more than the rebate, the difference is a gap payment you pay yourself.
Medicare rebate under a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (Better Access)
$101.55–$149.05 per 50+ minute session, up to 10 individual sessions a calendar year
Medicare Benefits Schedule items 80110 (registered psychologist, focussed psychological strategies) and 80010 (clinical psychologist, psychological therapy), current schedule at health.gov.au/mbs. This is a Medicare rebate, not a CTP figure; it only applies if you use Medicare instead of, or while waiting on, your CTP claim, and your psychologist's fee may be higher than the rebate.
This is a directory, not the insurer
Motor Accident Psychology NSW does not set fees, negotiate rates, or make funding decisions. When you ask us to help, we will connect you with a SIRA-experienced psychologist, and the conversation about rates and billing happens between you, the psychologist, and your insurer, exactly as SIRA's own guidance describes.
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
SIRA "Fees paid for motor crash health services" (https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/health-providers/fees-paid-for-motor-crash-health-services); SIRA "Providing allied health services in the NSW CTP schemes: FAQs" (https://www.sira.nsw.gov.au/resources-library/motor-accident-resources/publications/for-professionals/allied-health-providers-in-nsw-ctp-schemes-faqs), on fees, the Allied Health Treatment Request, the 10 working day response, and early intervention; Medicare Benefits Schedule items 80110 and 80010. Fees and rebates are reviewed periodically, so confirm current figures with SIRA, Services Australia, or your insurer.