Some of you may already be aware that despite a high level of evidence of their efficacy and valued use in chronic conditions, Naturopathy and Herbalism join a list of therapies that health funds will be banned from covering from the 1st of April 2019. Meaning that you will no longer be able to claim a rebate for a part of your Naturopathy consultation from this date onwards.
Currently, private health companies only issue provider numbers to practitioners who are registered with a professional association; ensuring that they are highly qualified, have first aid skills and participate in regular professional development. This new rule will not help patients, saves virtually no money, creates new risks to the public, denies healthcare that is effective and potentially encourages care that is ineffective and unsafe. For more information on this issue, the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA) media release can be found here.
Thank you if you have already signed the petition. Please consider sharing this with your friends and family; every signature will help when it is presented to the Health Minister with a submission to have Naturopathy removed from the “banned” list.
Artemisia Natural Therapies Melbourne Brunswick Naturopath 