Medicare funding for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) at neurocare clinics Australia.
The highly effective antidepressant treatment Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is now on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
This will benefit thousands of Australians each year needing access to more acute care for treatment-resistant depression and is recognition from the government of the viability and efficacy of TMS therapy, an already widely rebated and proven neurostimulation method globally.
The funding will help reduce the out-of-pocket costs for TMS therapy, which requires regular, intensive sessions in a short period of time, however, can offer fast-acting and long-lasting benefits, with very minimal side-effects as compared to medications.
Patients eligible for Medicare funding for TMS treatment must fulfil the following criteria:
- Be an adult (≥18 years) diagnosed with major depressive disorder;
- Have failed to receive satisfactory improvement in depression despite the adequate trialling of at least two different classes of antidepressant medications, unless contraindicated;
- Have also undertaken psychological therapy unless inappropriate; and
- Have not received rTMS treatment previously.
See the Fact Sheet: Listing of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on the Medicare Benefits Schedule
