Time to head to the dentist for a cleaning or see the physio about a dodgy knee? You probably know extras insurance has you covered. But if you pay for extras cover and haven’t checked your natural therapies limits lately, you might be leaving money—not to mention wellness benefits—on the table.
Your extras insurance might cover a range of natural and complementary therapies, from naturopathy to yoga and pilates.
Want to take advantage? It can pay to understand exactly what is (and isn’t) covered to ensure you’re making the most of your policy when it’s time to claim.
Is naturopathy covered by health insurance?
Today, naturopathy is routinely (though, not necessarily regularly) covered by private health insurance, along with a number of other natural and complementary therapies. However, it has not always been this way.
The Australian Government banned private health insurers from paying benefits for over a dozen natural therapies, including naturopathy, in 2019. Fortunately for natural therapy lovers, this decision was reversed in mid-2025, when seven were once again made fair game for private health insurance rebates.
What natural therapies are covered by private health insurance?
Natural therapies that may be covered by health insurers can include remedial massage or myotherapy, acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Exercise physiology is also covered in many cases.
Seven natural therapies were re-approved for coverage in 2025: Alexander technique, naturopathy, shiatsu, western herbalism, yoga, pilates and tai chi.
However, just because insurers are now allowed to pay a benefit for these seven therapies, they’re not required to, and many still don’t.
To give you an idea of who does, we undertook a survey of health insurers’ websites, and found 13 providers who offer one or more of these re-approved therapies under extras cover.
Type of therapy | Who covers it |
Alexander technique | CBHS, Onemedifund, Peoplecare, Phoenix Health Fund, Queensland Country Health, See-U by HBF, St Lukes, Teachers Health and Westfund. |
Naturopathy | CBHS, Health Partners, Mildura Health Fund, Onemedifund, Peoplecare, Phoenix Health Fund, Queensland Country Health, See-U by HBF, St Lukes and Teachers Health and Westfund. |
Pilates | ahm, CBHS, HCF, Health Partners, Mildura Health Fund, Onemedifund, Peoplecare, Queensland Country Health, See-U by HBF and Westfund. |
Shiatsu | CBHS, Onemedifund, Peoplecare, Phoenix Health Fund, Queensland Country Health, See-U by HBF, St Lukes, Teachers Health and Westfund. |
Tai chi | HCF, Onemedifund, Peoplecare, Queensland Country Health, See-U by HBF and Westfund. |
Western herbalism | CBHS, Onemedifund, Peoplecare, Phoenix Health Fund, Queensland Country Health, See-U by HBF, St Lukes, Teachers Health and Westfund. |
Yoga | ahm, CBHS, HCF, Health Partners, Mildura Health Fund, Onemedifund, Peoplecare, Queensland Country Health, See-U by HBF and Westfund. |
Source: Canstar, 29/09/2026. This list is not exhaustive, and cover varies by product and level of cover. Waiting periods, annual limits and provider recognition requirements apply. Check with your insurer before making a claim. | |
You’ve likely come across many of these before, but some may not be as familiar. Shiatsu, for example, is a kind of Japanese pressure point massage, while Alexander technique is an educational process that retrains posture and movement.
If you’re specifically after insurance that covers yoga, pilates or tai chi, one very important thing to keep in mind is that some insurers will only pay a rebate for these under an approved health management program, or with a referral from a GP or health practitioner.
If you’re unsure whether this impacts you, have a read of your policy documents or just give your health fund a call and ask.
You’ve likely come across many of these before, but some may not be as familiar. Shiatsu, for example, is a kind of Japanese pressure point massage, while Alexander technique is an educational process that retrains posture and movement.
What natural therapies are not covered by private health insurance?
The following natural therapies remain excluded from cover:
- Aromatherapy
- Bowen therapy
- Buteyko
- Feldenkrais
- Homeopathy
- Iridology
- Kinesiology
- Reflexology
- Rolfing
Some of these may not be as familiar as those listed above. Buteyko is a breathing technique that’s aimed at treating conditions like asthma, while Feldenkrais is an exercise therapy based around the idea of mindful movement.
You may have heard that eyes are the window to the soul, but iridology practitioners believe they can be used to diagnose your overall health. Meanwhile, Rolfing is all about getting your body’s ‘energy field’ aligned with the Earth’s gravitational pull.
As mentioned, health funds were barred from paying a benefit from these practices in 2019, and that decision still stands.
Avoid getting stung: Tips to make the most of cover for natural therapies
1. Ensure your policy includes natural therapies
While many health funds in Australia pay a benefit for natural therapies, it’s not standard across the board. Likewise, a basic extras policy probably won’t cut it, and you’ll usually need a mid-to-high level policy to access them. And, of course, the more comprehensive the policy, the higher the premiums you’ll likely pay. However, if you turn to natural therapies a lot, you may find the benefits outweigh the extra cost.
2. Check for combined annual limits
Health funds typically limit how much you can get back for natural therapies using your extras policy. These limits vary, but at the time of writing, Medibank offers annual limits of up to $300 per person on its top extras cover, while Bupa offers up to $500. Be aware that many insurers group these therapies under a single shared cap. So, if you use your limit on remedial massage, you may have nothing left to claim on naturopathy. There may also be sub-limits, meaning the maximum amount you can claim for a specific service could be capped at $100 per year, for instance.
3. Know your out-of-pocket costs
Depending on your health fund, benefits might be paid at a fixed dollar amount per session (a set rate of $40 back, for example) or a percentage of the total fee (perhaps 60% of the total cost). It pays to know how your extras insurance works so you’re not stung by a surprise gap fee at the counter.
4. Make sure you’ve served your waiting periods
If you’ve only just taken out extras cover or upgraded to a more comprehensive policy, you’ll usually need to serve a waiting period (typically two to six months) before you can claim for natural therapies.
5. Use it before you lose it
Most major health funds in Australia reset their annual limits on New Year's Day. If the end of the year is approaching and you haven’t claimed up to your annual limit, you could be missing out on valuable benefits. Be aware not all funds reset their limits with the new year. Some, like AHM, do it on July 1, and others may do it on the anniversary of your joining date. Check when yours expire to make sure you get the most of your remaining benefits.
6. Remember—only approved providers count
In order to claim for natural therapies, your practitioner must hold a recognised tertiary or diploma-level qualification and be a member of their relevant peak body. They’ll also need to have an active provider number registered with your health fund. Check these details with them to avoid having your claim knocked back.
7. Find out if you need a referral
In some cases, an insurer may require a referral from a doctor or a formal health management plan in order to pay benefits for specific services. To avoid any confusion or disappointment, ask your health fund if this is the case for any of the natural therapies you might need to claim.
8. Save by claiming on the spot
If your provider has an electronic claiming terminal (like HICAPS), you may be able to claim instantly by swiping your membership card at the counter. This means you’ll pay only the remaining out of pocket cost from your session rather than paying the full amount and being reimbursed later.
