$467.45
Medicare benefit
Item 92435, a psychiatrist ADHD assessment by video. The schedule fee is $549.90.
Medicare Benefits Schedule
Autism and ADHD, for Australians
Think it might be you? Start here.
A free, independent guide to being assessed for autism, ADHD or both in Australia, what it costs, and what funding exists.
Can a GP diagnose ADHD where you live? Current at 8 August 2026
QLD open now
SA open now
NSW staged
VIC late 2026
WA limited
TAS opening
ACT staged
NT no reform
See all eight jurisdictions
AuDHD is not a clinic. We do not diagnose, treat or prescribe, we take no referral fees, and nothing here is medical advice.
Getting assessed
How getting assessed actually works
Three steps, the same for everyone. What changes between them is where you live, which is the first thing worth checking.
Step one
Start with your state, not with a clinic
In Queensland a GP has been able to diagnose, prescribe and initiate treatment for adults and children since 1 December 2025, with no additional training required. South Australia is open too, for GPs who have completed additional training. Everywhere else, ADHD assessment still begins with a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Step two
Decide between in person and video
Medicare item 92435 covers a psychiatrist ADHD assessment delivered by video. The schedule fee is $549.90 and the benefit is $467.45, the same as the in-person item 291. Psychiatry is exempt from the 12-month established-relationship rule, and the item can be claimed once per patient per 12 months.
Step three
Ask what you pay after the rebate
A private assessment commonly costs around $1,400 before any rebate, and a typical wait is about 12 months. The number that matters is the gap you pay on the day, not the headline fee. Ask for it in writing before you book.
Autism funding
What changes on 1 October 2026
Thriving Kids replaces the NDIS for many young children.
- From 1 October 2026, children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism at low to moderate support needs access support through Thriving Kids rather than the NDIS.
- It is delivered by state and territory governments through mainstream settings, so the detail will come from your own state or territory.
- Children with high support needs remain on the NDIS. Full rollout is complete by 1 January 2028.
- If your child is 8 or under, this changes where you go, who you talk to and what you can ask for.
Check your situation
What does my state allow, and what will it cost?
Three questions. There is no score, no result about you personally, and nothing you choose is sent anywhere or stored on our servers.
Where are you up to?
There is no wrong answer, and you can change it later.
What are you looking into?
Autism and ADHD often come up together. You do not have to pick one to get started.
Where do you live?
ADHD prescribing rules are set by each state and territory. The NDIS is national, but Thriving Kids will be delivered by state and territory governments.
Your three answers
- 1
- 2
- 3
Nothing you choose is sent anywhere or stored on our servers. There is no score and no result about you personally.
Where you live
Which states let a GP diagnose ADHD?
Open any jurisdiction for the detail. Current at 8 August 2026.
GP pathway open now
Start date announced
Limited pathway
Committed, no date
No reform announced
Queensland
Open now
GPs can diagnose, prescribe and initiate treatment for adults and children, with no additional training required.
South Australia
Open now
GPs can diagnose and prescribe once they have completed the additional training the state requires.
New South Wales
Staged rollout
Since September 2025 a GP may only continue an existing psychiatrist prescription. Diagnosis and initiation are expected September to October 2026.
Victoria
From September 2026
The GP pathway is expected from around late 2026; the first cohort of 150 GPs starts training in September 2026.
Western Australia
Limited pathway
A limited GP pathway exists. No formal implementation date has been announced for anything broader.
Tasmania
Committed
The state has committed to a GP pathway. No date has been announced.
Aust. Capital Territory
Committed
The territory has committed to a GP pathway. No date has been announced.
Northern Territory
No reform announced
No ADHD prescribing reform has been announced. Assessment remains specialist-led.
These rules cover ADHD diagnosis and prescribing. Autism assessment is a separate process and is not affected by them. Where a GP pathway is not open, the Medicare video item applies nationally. Announced start dates can move, so we date every change and review this page monthly.
Costs and rebates
What an assessment costs in Australia
Five figures worth carrying into any phone call with a practice. Every one of them is published by somebody else, and every one of them is dated.
$1,400
Common private fee
What a private assessment commonly costs before any rebate. Your practice sets its own fee.
Commonly reported fees
12
Months of typical wait
A typical wait for a private assessment. Waits vary by provider and by where you live.
Commonly reported waits
2 of 8
Jurisdictions open
Queensland and South Australia are the two where a GP can currently diagnose and prescribe.
As at 1 August 2026
Neither
ADHD on the NDIS lists
ADHD is on neither List A nor List B, so a diagnosis alone does not qualify anyone.
Published NDIS access criteria
| Pathway | Typical fee | Medicare | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| GP assessment, where the state allows it | Set by the practice | Standard consultation items. Bulk billing incentives have applied to all Medicare card holders since 1 November 2025. | Varies by practice |
| Psychiatrist assessment by video | Set by the psychiatrist | $467.45 benefit under item 92435, once per patient per 12 months | Varies by provider |
| Private psychiatrist assessment | About $1,400 before any rebate | Rebate applies, the balance is your gap | About 12 months |
Why AuDHD
Independent, Australian, and kept current
No commercial interest
We are not a clinic and we are not paid to send you anywhere. No sponsored listings, no referral fees, no lead generation.
Dated, not evergreen
Funding and prescribing rules are both changing during 2026, on different timetables. We publish what is in force today, with the date it changed.
Autism and ADHD together
Most sites pick one. We cover both, because for a lot of people the two questions are the same question.
Autism, ADHD and the NDIS
Does a diagnosis get you NDIS funding?
Autism can open the door. ADHD on its own does not.
- Autism at Level 2 or Level 3 is on the NDIS List A, and usually qualifies through capacity evidence. Autism at Level 1 may qualify, but it requires additional evidence of substantially reduced functional capacity.
- ADHD is on neither List A nor List B. Eligibility is based on functional impact, not on the diagnosis, so the common successful route is ADHD co-occurring with autism or another recognised disability.
169
Participants had ADHD recorded as their primary disability
6,807
Participants had ADHD recorded at all, primary or otherwise
40
Of the 188 primary-ADHD participants were adults in March 2023, the last published age split
NDIS participant figures as at 31 March 2026; the age split was last published for March 2023. They are a snapshot, not a prediction of any individual outcome. A rebate under Medicare and a support package under the NDIS are two separate systems, and qualifying for one tells you nothing about the other.
Common questions
Questions people actually ask
Short, direct answers. Every one of them is dated, and every one of them is a rule someone else published, not an opinion of ours.
Can a GP diagnose ADHD in Australia?
It depends on your state or territory, because prescribing rules are set by each of them rather than nationally. As at 1 August 2026 GPs can diagnose and prescribe for ADHD in Queensland and in South Australia. Everywhere else an ADHD assessment still begins with a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Which Australian states let GPs diagnose and prescribe for ADHD right now?
Queensland, open since 1 December 2025, where GPs can diagnose, prescribe and initiate treatment for adults and children with no additional training required. South Australia is also open, for GPs who have completed additional training. New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not open in the same way.
When will GPs be able to diagnose ADHD in New South Wales and Victoria?
New South Wales is staged. Since September 2025 a GP may only continue a prescription a psychiatrist has already started. About 300 GPs began endorsed training in March 2026, and diagnosis and initiation are expected September to October 2026. In Victoria 150 GPs start training in September 2026 and the pathway is expected from around late 2026.
What does an ADHD assessment cost in Australia?
A private ADHD assessment commonly costs around $1,400 before any rebate, and a typical wait is about 12 months. Medicare item 92435 has a schedule fee of $549.90 and pays a benefit of $467.45. The gap you pay is the difference between the practice fee and that benefit.
Does Medicare cover an ADHD assessment by video?
Yes. Medicare item 92435 covers a psychiatrist ADHD assessment delivered by video, with a schedule fee of $549.90 and a benefit of $467.45, the same as the in-person item 291. Psychiatry is exempt from the 12-month established-relationship rule, and the item is claimable once per patient per 12 months.
Is bulk billing available for ADHD and autism appointments?
It depends on the practice. Since 1 November 2025 bulk billing incentives have been expanded to all Medicare card holders, and practices that bulk bill 100 per cent of eligible services receive an extra 12.5 per cent loading. Whether an individual practice bulk bills is still its own decision, so ask when you book.
Does an autism diagnosis qualify you for the NDIS?
Autism at Level 2 or Level 3 is on the NDIS List A and usually qualifies through capacity evidence. Autism at Level 1 may qualify, but it requires additional evidence of substantially reduced functional capacity. Access is decided on functional impact, so no diagnosis on its own guarantees an outcome.
Does an ADHD diagnosis qualify you for the NDIS?
No. ADHD is on neither List A nor List B, and a diagnosis alone does not qualify anyone. As at 31 March 2026, 169 participants had ADHD as their primary disability out of 6,807 participants with ADHD recorded at all. The age split was last published for March 2023, when only 40 of the 188 primary-ADHD participants were adults. The common successful route is ADHD co-occurring with autism or another recognised disability.
What is Thriving Kids and when does it start?
Thriving Kids begins 1 October 2026. Children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism at low to moderate support needs will access support through Thriving Kids rather than the NDIS. It is delivered by state and territory governments through mainstream settings, with full rollout by 1 January 2028. Children with high support needs remain on the NDIS.
Do I need a referral or a diagnosis before I look into this?
No. Reading about assessment is not a diagnosis and commits you to nothing. There is no test on this site and no score. The usual first step in Australia is a longer appointment with a GP where you describe what you find difficult, and you can change your mind at any point.
Rules change. We date every one of them.
Prescribing rules and funding rules are both moving through 2026, on different timetables. We review this page monthly and record the date each thing changed.
A mailing list opens alongside charity registration, and it will be announced on the About page first. Until then, every dated change is published on this page.
Check your state