The latest Assignment of Benefit update: What the new timeline means for your practice
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Naturopathy is once again eligible for private health insurance rebates in Australia.
For many providers, this is welcome news. But what does it mean in practice?
While naturopathy is once again eligible, whether a patient can claim depends on their insurer, level of cover, and the provider requirements set by each fund.
What’s changed?
The Australian Government recently completed a review of seven natural therapies, assessing evidence published since the 2015 review that led to their removal from private health insurance rebates.
Following that review, the Government amended private health insurance rules to re-include seven natural therapies, including naturopathy and Western herbalism, under extras cover from 1 July 2025.
As a result, private health insurers can once again offer rebates for naturopathy services.
However, participation is not mandatory. Each health fund decides whether to include naturopathy in its products, when cover becomes available, how much patients can claim and what provider eligibility requirements apply.
That means the claiming experience may vary depending on the patient’s fund and level of cover.
A quick timeline
Before 2019 – Naturopathy was included in many private health insurance extras policies across Australia, allowing eligible patients to claim rebates for services.
2019 to 2025 – The Australian Government removed private health insurance rebates for several natural therapies, including naturopathy, following a review of the available evidence. Health funds could no longer offer benefits for these services under extras cover.
From 1 July 2025 – Following recommendations from an expert advisory panel, the Australian Government amended the Private Health Insurance (Health Insurance Business) Rules to re-include seven natural therapies in the definition of general treatment, including naturopathy.
Today – Health funds can choose whether to offer rebates for naturopathy services. Each fund decides its level of cover and provider eligibility requirements.
What this means for providers
Patients may hear that “rebates are back” and assume they can claim immediately. In reality, access to rebates will vary between health funds and products.
Some insurers may introduce cover quickly, while others may take longer or choose not to offer cover at all. For that reason, it’s best to avoid suggesting rebates are guaranteed.
Instead, consider wording such as:
“Some private health funds may cover naturopathy services, depending on your insurer and level of cover.”
Setting expectations early can help reduce confusion for both patients and practice staff.
What happens next?
As health funds update their products and provider requirements, more information will become available about where and how patients can claim.
For providers, staying informed and communicating clearly with patients will be key during the transition period.
How Tyro Health supports providers
As claiming rules continue to evolve, providers need systems that keep payments and administration simple.
Tyro Health offers integrated payments and claiming solutions designed to fit into everyday clinic workflows. As health funds progressively introduce naturopathy cover, Tyro Health is working closely with the industry to support providers as claiming becomes available across participating funds.
Disclaimers
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