Eating Disorders FAQ

Our Renourish™ Recovery Nutrition Program is delivered by our team of skilled specialist Dietitians Sonya Douglas, Caylah Batt, Eryn Richards and Rachael Gilholm, who are currently accepting referrals. They are Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians as awarded by the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders (ANZAED).

Our team has extensive collective experience in eating disorders including working in the public and private hospital system (acute medical wards and Mental Health Units), The Hollywood Clinic- Inpatient and Day Program, Perth Clinic and the Marian Centre.  Sonya also delivers training to other Dietitians across Australia, in collaboration with WAEDOCS (WA Eating Disorders Outreach and Consultation Service). You are in safe hands.

No, you do not. Your Dietitian will do a comprehensive assessment at your first 1-2 appointments and if an eating disorder is suspected, this will be discussed with your consent with your GP or Psychologist if you have one. Only a GP, Psychiatrist, Paediatrician or Clinical Psychologist can provide a formal diagnosis of an eating disorder.

Having a large team of Dietitians means most of the time our waitlists are minimal. We also prioritise seeing patients with disordered eating and eating disorders.

For eating disorders (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and OSFED), you can claim a maximum of 20 visits over 12 months under Medicare for an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP). These plans were introduced in November 2019.

Your GP may choose to complete a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan first, as this paperwork is quicker to complete. This will enable you to claim up to 5 visits and provides time for an EDP to be prepared. In this scenario, you will claim a max of 5 visits under a CDM and the balance of visits (up to a maximum of 20) in 12 months under the EDP.

Your CDM or EDP must be completed before your appointment to be eligible to claim your rebate from Medicare. When booking, please ask our Care Coordinator if they have received your CDM or EDP plan from your referrer. If your GP has not completed your plan, you can still attend your appointment and claim a rebate from your private health fund if you have Ancillary/Extras cover for dietetics.

A Mental Health Care Plan cannot be used to claim a rebate for our services.

At this stage, a diagnosis of ARFID is only eligible for rebates for up to 5 visits under Medicare for a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan, not an EDP. We will let you know if this changes.

Medicare rebates are currently set at $56 per Dietitian consultation. The rebate will be higher if you have exceeded the Medicare Safety Net. Learn more about the Medicare Safety Net or contact Medicare on 1800 011 163

The Medicare rebate does not cover the full cost of your consultation (we are NOT a bulk-billing practice), so there will be an out-of-pocket expense on the day. The full fee must be paid at the time of your consultation and your Medicare claim will be processed online using HICAPS. The rebate will be deposited into your nominated bank account normally within 24-48 hours. Please note you cannot claim a rebate from your private health fund in addition to claiming a rebate from Medicare for the consultation.

We recommend booking a long appointment with your GP to discuss whether you’re eligible for an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP) or a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan. Learn more about an EDP. If after your initial appointment, your Dietitian feels you may be eligible for a plan under Medicare they will provide you with a letter to take to your GP.

Eating disorders are serious and complex psychiatric conditions with medical complications and we believe recovery is possible no matter how long you have had your eating disorder. Best practice guidelines for recovery recommend taking a team approach with eating disorder-informed experts to keep you safe and supported every step of the way.