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Getting a GP Referral for an ADHD Assessment

A GP referral is the first step in almost every ADHD assessment pathway in Australia, and what it says can determine which Medicare rebate you get. Here is what the referral needs to cover and what the GP visit itself costs.

Almost every ADHD assessment pathway starts with a GP. healthdirect names GPs as the first point of contact for ADHD, and a referral from a GP is how a psychologist, psychiatrist or paediatrician assessment gets underway, since most of those providers expect a referral before they will book an assessment session.

Why the referral matters beyond just booking

A GP referral does more than open the door: what it says on paper affects the Medicare rebate on the other end. To access the higher psychiatrist rebate under item 291, 85 percent of a $549.90 fee ($467.45), the referral needs to be specifically for assessment and development of a management plan for a mental health condition, not a generic specialist referral. Without that framing, the psychiatrist visit is rebated under a different, lower item instead.

What to raise with your GP

Come prepared to describe your symptoms plainly and, if you are an adult, be ready to talk about what things looked like in childhood too. healthdirect notes that adults have to establish that ADHD symptoms began in childhood, sometimes using old school reports, and a GP who understands that early can write a referral that anticipates it rather than sending you back for a second one later. It also helps to say upfront whether you are expecting to need medication, since that shapes whether the GP refers you to a psychologist, a psychiatrist or a paediatrician. But say it early. A referral written for the wrong pathway can mean starting the wait over.

Referral for a psychologist vs a psychiatrist

A referral matters whether the next stop is a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Item 82000, the psychologist rebate for a patient under 25, requires a referral too, but it needs to be for a service contributing to diagnosis or management of a complex neurodevelopmental condition, not the same management-plan wording item 291 requires. A referral toward a psychiatrist carries the bigger dollar stakes: word it as assessment and management-plan development and item 291 applies, an 85 percent rebate on a $549.90 fee ($467.45); a generic specialist referral gets item 296 instead, 85 percent of a lower $316.30 fee ($268.90).

Some people need two GP visits rather than one: an initial conversation to raise the concern and get pointed toward a specific provider, then a second visit, sometimes weeks later, to finalise the referral once a psychologist or psychiatrist has actually been chosen and their appointment requirements are known.

What the GP visit itself costs

The standard GP consultation, item 23, covers attendances of 6 to 20 minutes and is rebated at 100 percent of its $45.05 fee, meaning a bulk-billing GP can complete this step at no out-of-pocket cost. It is a small part of the overall assessment cost, which nationally averages close to $1,400 in total according to 2026 University of Wollongong reporting, but it is the step that determines how much of the rest gets rebated.

Common questions

Sources

• healthdirect Australia: Attention deficit disorder (ADD) or ADHD
• Medicare Benefits Schedule: item 291
• Medicare Benefits Schedule: item 296
• Medicare Benefits Schedule: item 82000
• Medicare Benefits Schedule: item 23

Related reading

• Medicare rebates for ADHD assessment explained
• The psychiatrist pathway: ADHD assessment and medication
• How to find an ADHD assessment provider near you