Remedial Massage and Myotherapy still eligible for health insurance rebates

It may seem like a bad April Fool’s day prank but the April 1 exclusion of a whole swag of natural therapies from the private health insurance rebate does not apply to remedial massage and myotherapy. Australians with appropriate ancillary cover will continue to be able to claim on relevant services provided by AMT members who meet the provider criteria of the funds.

From 1 April 2019 the following natural therapies will be excluded from the definition of private health insurance general treatment and will no longer receive the private health insurance rebate as part of a general treatment policy:

  • Alexander technique
  • Aromatherapy
  • Bowen Therapy
  • Buteyko
  • Feldenkrais
  • Western herbalism
  • Homeopathy
  • Iridology
  • Kinesiology
  • Naturopathy
  • Pilates
  • Reflexology
  • Rolfing
  • Shiatsu
  • Tai chi,
  • Yoga

For more information, please refer to the announcement on the Department of Health website.

But it’s business as usual for remedial massage and myotherapy.


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Comments

  1. Vincent Bowyer RM CSP Nat WHM
    01/03/2019 - 9:42 am

    This move against natural therapies concerns me. What concerns me more is our attitude that as Remedial Massage therapists we are not affected.
    We got off this time.
    I feel deeply uncomfortable with the very subtle attitude pervading us that gloats we have escaped the chop because somehow we are better than other natural therapies.
    We are not.
    Nor should we feel we are out of the water. It is politics that has saved us this time, not evidence.
    I feel deeply uncomfortable that techniques such as Reflexology, Feldenkrais, Aromatherapy (the use of essential oils), shiatsu, rolfing, etc have been deemed to not be evidence based. Do we REALLY believe that? If so, lets throw out our essential oils, stop teaching yoga and no longer recommend Pilates. When you look at how the ‘evidence’ was researched and what was finally spoon fed to the Government its an indictment against Australia and against science.

    • Hi Vincent. I am not sure whether this is a comment on this blog post or a more general observation.

      The purpose of this post was just to provide factual information about the scope of the changes because there has been a lot of confusion and misinformation circulating.

      The legislated changes are complicated and the ramifications are complex. I think even the Dept of Health is realising now that it’s all a bit of a stuff up, specially since the way the decision was legislated went much further than the original Labor proposal. This is an interesting listen in terms of outlining just how complicated the situation is:

      https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/academic-claims-research-and-access-to-natural-therapies-is-bei/10782602

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