The Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule initiative (Better Access) has been running since November 2006 and takes the form of a series of item numbers on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). The MBS lists the services for which the Australian Government provides a rebate to consumers to assist them in meeting the costs. Each service is associated with a schedule fee, and the rebate is paid as a percentage of the schedule fee.

The ultimate aim of Better Access is to encourage more people to seek support for their mental ill-health. It works to improve treatment and management for people who have mild to moderate mental health conditions, for whom short-term, evidence-based interventions are most likely to be useful.

This is the final report of an independent evaluation of the initiative, undertaken by researchers at the University of Melbourne.