Expanded Medicare cover for mentally ill

Prime Minister John Howard will mark the start of mental health week today by outlining the expanded Medicare rebates available from next month for some psychiatry and other therapy.

Mr Howard announced a major mental health package in April.

Today he will promote part of the scheme that means from November, Medicare rebates will be paid for patients whose GP provides early intervention, assessment and management of mental disorders.

It will cost more than $500 million over five years.

Mr Howard has urged people to remember mental illness can strike people of any age.

He says more than 500,000 children and teenagers suffer some kind of mental illness in any six-month period and the new measures will help in their treatment.